Most of the Australian coal used by steelmakers that was being held at Chinese ports in the wake of Beijing’s import ban has now been cleared, according to local research firm Fengkuang Coal Logistics, although there’s no sign that the halt on new shipments will be lifted. Customs data for the final quarter of last year show 6.2 million tons of Australian coking coal were finally allowed in, along with another 5.5 million tons of thermal coal that was destined for power plants from China’s former trading partner for the fossil fuel. It’s unclear how much coal in total was stranded after Beijing halted Australian imports near the end of 2020 as political ties with Canberra soured. Still, the customs figures are close to industry estimates of the amount of coal that was in limbo, and it’s highly likely in any case that China’s power crisis in […]