(Cctd.com, Dec 31, 2006) In the first eleven months of 2006, Guangdong Port imported 14.77 million metric tons of coals, an increase of 62.9 per cent compared with the same period of 2005, in total amount of US$610 million yuan, up 45.8 per cent on 2005, according to statistics released by the General Administration of Customs. During the same period, China imported 8.16 million metric tons of coals from Vietnam, up 65.5 per cent on 2005, accounting for 55.2 per cent of the country¡¯s total coal import, 3.213 million tons from Australia, up 63.4 per cent, accounting for 21.8 per cent, and 3.045 million tons from Indonesia, up 59.6 per cent, accounting for 20.6 per cent.

The rise in coal import at Guangdong Port came mainly as a result of decrease in domestic coal output and contradictions between domestic and international coal prices.

We should notice that the concentration of source countries of coal import might lead to China¡¯s vulnerability to source countries¡¯ policy changes. In the first eleven months of 2006, up to 90 per cent of coals were imported from Vietnam, Australia and Indonesia.
source:Cctd.com
Drawn from Chinese language press