Coal exports have reached the lowest of the last nine months due to China’s downturn in coal imports. According to the Customs General Administration, Mongolia exported a total of 34.8 million tons of coal in the first 11 months of the year, up by 4.2 percent from the same period of last year. However, coal exports have dropped to 2.45 million tons in November, down 24 percent from the previous month. Mongolia, the mineral resource reach country, plans to export 42 million tons of coal in 2019. To reach its target, the country needs to export another 7.2million tons of coal until the end of the year. The decline in China’s imports has resulted in the main ports of Mongolia. Gashuunsukhait port, which exported 19.7 million tons of coal from the Tavantolgoi deposit in the first 11 months, is currently producing 160 trucks loaded with coal per day. At regular periods, around 1,000 coal-loaded vehicles pass through the port. The Gashuunsukhait border administration has informed that more than 1,000 cargo ships are currently waiting to enter and the coal has not been transported for the last five days. Thus, the export of Bulgan port in Khovd province closed in early November. Mongolia Energy Corporation (MEC) Ltd. exports Khushuut coal through the port. MEC exported a total of 1.2 million tons of coal in 2019, up by more than 70 percent, exceeding the last year’s overall performance of 700,000 tons. In the remainder of the year, China’s imports were completely halted.

Published Date:2019-12-12