BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s customs authorities have denied reports that they plan to go slow on inspections of imported coal, potentially leading to fewer imports.
China’s General Administration of Customs said in a Weibo post on Sunday that it was aware of reports online that customs inspections would be delayed from April 1, resulting in longer clearance times.
“This information is false,” the post said.
The China Coal Transportation and Distribution Association said on Friday evening that customs administrations in multiple parts of China would step up inspections of imported coal from April 1.
The association did not immediately respond to requests for comment via email and Wechat.
The group and the China Coal Industry Association last month issued a statement calling on their members to limit imports of low-quality coal and curb output to bring the oversupplied market back into balance.
(Reporting by Colleen Howe and Amy Lv; Editing…
