On Wednesday, significant delays to vessels loading imported coal to China are reported. The vessels affected mostly are of coal loaded in Australia.
According to Standard Club, the main delays in waiting for a discharge berth occur at China’s ports of Jingtang, Caofeidian, Huanghua, and Bayuquan for between 2 or 3 weeks, up to 3 months.
The delays are said to be caused by a strict interpretation by the customs authorities of import regulations, which resulted in prolonged customs clearance formalities. Quota controls also affected the delay, along with the decrease in imported coal’s domestic demand.
Recently, Chinese ports have been tightening procedures to limit the spread of coronavirus.
