China restricts coal imports to protect domestic producers

On 29 June, the state-run  China Security Times reported that China will ban coal imports at small or tier-2 ports starting 1 July . Major or tier-1 ports can continue imports but could potentially face more time in cargo clearance. Protectionism returns to the Chinese coal import trade after nearly 18 months. During this period, supply rationalisation, capacity closures and price management were the focus of the government. As a result, imports surged 26% year-on-year in 2016 and 17% year-on-year in H1 2017. With domestic supply returning, the focus shifts to curbing imports and retaining price gains domestically.