Coal-fired power plant in Xining: No country uses more coal than China
Photo: A2800 epa Zuo Xiaoming/ dpa
China bought significantly less coal from Russia in the first month after the start of the war in Ukraine.
Imports from there fell in March by 30 percent compared to the same month last year, according to data from the customs authority in Beijing.
The world's largest coal consumer imported only 3.12 million tons from Russia, a year earlier it was a good 4.4 million tons.
Chinese traders also scaled back imports of Russian coal because of difficulties in securing financing from state banks.
These, in turn, fear being sanctioned by the West.
The European Union plans to ban Russian coal imports altogether.
Therefore, a price drop for Russian deliveries is to be expected.
Chinese merchants are attempting to process payments in the local currency, the yuan, to bypass the Swift international payment network.
Russia only has limited access to this, since the western allies have largely decoupled the country from it after invading Ukraine.
mamk/Reuters
