Australian exports recorded high volumes of thermal coal to India in April, as shifting trade flows reflect Beijing’s ban on imports of Australian coal.
Australia’s thermal coal exports of 15.24m t in April improved by 14 percent from the eight-year low in March but declined by 7 percent from April 2020, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
For the fourth consecutive month, there were no shipments to China with initial shipping data suggesting this continues into early June. Shipments to Vietnam have also plummeted this year, together these factors have lowered January-April total shipments by 10 percent on the year.
India is in the midst of a COVID-19 surge currently, however it has compensated for lower imports in the first half of 2020 and Australian exports to the nation hit a record high of 2.46m t in April.
Australian exports continue to move to smaller markets for its coal such as Indonesia, Thailand, the Netherlands, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, the Philippines and Pakistan, as suppliers continue to look to diversify in reaction to Beijing’s import ban.
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