Die twis wat ontstaan het tussen die Autraliese uitvoerders en Chinese invoerders, kan moontlik ‘n nadraai in Suid Afrika hê.’n Twis wat nou tot gevolg het dat vyf van die noordelike Chinese hawens wat deur die Dalian doeane beheer word, nl. Bayuquan, Panjin, Dandong en Beiliang klaring weier van Australiese steenkool. Die werklike oorsaak is nie bekend nie en die Chinese owerhede gee ook geen verduideliking vir die verbod nie.

Ook by ander Chinese hawens word Australiese steenkoolklarings met tot 40 dae lank vertraag. Van die 14 miljoen ton steenkoolinvoere in China, voorsien Australië nagenoeg die helfte.

Die steenkool wat in Suid Afrika aan Eskom voorsien word en waaroor daar nou al geruime tyd tou getrek word oor gebrek aan fondse, swak betalings, tydige bestellings, vervoerdienste, ens. Terwyl Chinese steenkoolbelade vragskepe in Suid Afrikaanse hawens opgemerk word, begin ‘n mens wonder in watter mate BRICKS hier ‘n rol speel.

Na mate die Amerikaans/Chinese verhouding verswak as gevolg van hulle wedersydse handelsoorlog, gerugsteun deur die Oos/Wes resies vir vastrapplek in Afrika en veral Suid Afrika, kan hierdie verwikkeling tussen Australië en China vorentoe ‘n ernstige impak hê op kragvoorsiening in Suid Afrika.

Gareth CostaThe West Australian

Thursday, 21 February 2019 8:23AM

The Australian dollar fell more than one per cent this afternoon following news China’s Dalian region customs had banned Australian coal imports with effect from this month.

Reuters reported China’s northern Dalian ports had banned imports of Australian coal and would cap overall coal imports for 2019 through its harbours at 12 million tonnes, with Australian miners the only ones to suffer from the import cuts.

The news broke after the close of the sharemarket but index futures fell 0.3 per cent.

Reuters said the news followed reports some of China’s other major ports had also been prolonging clearing times for Australian coal to at least 40 days.

The dollar jumped to a high of US72.20¢ this morning after the jobs data beat forecasts, but it fell back to US71.60¢ after Westpac announced it was forecasting two rate cuts this year, and then it hit a low of US70.85¢ around 2pm as the the import curb stoked concerns other commodity imports could also be hit.

The ports handled about 14 million tonnes of coal last year, half of which was from Australia.

A customs official told Reuters five harbours overseen by Dalian customs - Dalian, Bayuquan, Panjin, Dandong and Beiliang - would not allow Australian coal to clear through customs, but offered no explanation for the decision.

Bloomberg reported the ban appeared to be the biggest escalation yet of simmering tensions between Australian coal exporters and Chinese importers.

Earlier today Australian trade minister Simon Birmingham said his department was seeking clarification from the Chinese government on the delays.

He said he’d met this week with the Minerals Council of Australia to discuss the issue, as well as the country’s representations to Chinese authorities.