China is ramping up controls on imports of low-quality coal due to concerns about smog and overcapacity in the world’s top coal consumer, a government official said on Wednesday, as traders report some cargoes have been delayed by customs checks. “As long as coal meets standards, we don’t forbid imports, but we are imposing controls on low-quality coal imports,” said Zhi Shuping, head of the Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine which oversees imports safety. The official was speaking on the sidelines of the annual meeting of China’s parliament. “If we let all kinds of coal import into domestic market, it will hit the domestic market,” Zhi said. Last year, the agency rejected 1.5 million tonnes of imported coal, […]