Australian coal loses market share in China
29 January 2008
Australia's share of the Chinese coal market dropped sharply last year, the Financial Times reported. Australian coal exports to China dropped by 34% to 4.52 million tons last year, according to figures from China's customs authorities. Vietnam was China's biggest foreign supplier, with a 23% year-on-year increase to 24.6 million tons. Coal is Australia's biggest export commodity. The industry in Australia has been hit by severe port and rail infrastructure bottlenecks. Japan remains Australia's biggest coal buyer, followed by Korea and Taiwan. China, which became a net importer of coal for the first time last year, is an increasingly important, although still relatively small, customer.