Today (23 March), Mongolia restarted coal deliveries to China after delaying border opening dates second times due to the coronavirus outbreak. Mongolia has stopped coal exports to China since 3 March. Earlier today, a working group including Deputy Speaker U.Enkhtuvshin, Minster of Road and Transportation B.Enkh-Amgalan as well as Deputy Director of General Agency for Specialized Investigation D.Enkhsaikhan the examined disinfection and other security measures at the Gashuun Sukhait Border Crossing.

A total of 17 enterprises applied to conduct coal transportation with 166 trucks; 70 of the trucks qualified. Therefore, the first ten coal vehicles entered China between 09.00 a.m. and 01.00 p.m.

Mongolia has set a goal to export 42 million tonnes of coal in 2020. However, the country was forced to suspended coal deliveries to China in mid-February as a measure to prevent the spread of Covid-19 across the border.

According to data from the Mongolian Customs Administration, the country exported a total of 245.9 thousand tonnes of coal to China from 1-17 February, 2020; this represents a dramatic fall from the two million tonnes of coal in January.