China’s coking coal imports slowed in September from August on limited Mongolian supplies, but non-Australian seaborne imports remained above 2020 levels led by record US arrivals.

China imported 4.35 million tonnes of coking coal in September, down by 35pc from a year earlier and down by 7 percent from August, according to Chinese customs data.

Mongolian imports declined by 39 percent to 659,094 tonnes in September on the month, after more than doubling in August. Truck crossings at the Gashuunsukhait-Ganqimaodu border halted for over a week in late August as new Covid cases surged in Mongolia. The number of trucks passing the border remained limited even after customs clearance resumed on 31 August as strict Covid measures slowed traffic throughout the month.

Russian imports in September nearly doubled from a year earlier to 926,957t. Chinese mills picked up Russian supplies, particularly pulverised coal injection, given limited spot availability from railway logistical disruptions.