After months of concern over China's curbs on coal from Australia, signs are growing that the imports have fallen victim to political disputes. Speculation over China's motives has been rising since November, when reports first surfaced that Chinese ports had stopped clearing inbound coal shipments until the end of 2018 due to high inventories built up ahead of winter.
While China is the world's top producer and consumer of coal, it is also the biggest buyer with imports of 281.5 million metric tons last year, according to customs figures. But the import restrictions in November have extended well into 2019, focusing heavily on Australia.
