Will pursue all avenues to defend businesses: Australia on China coal curbs

TIL Desk/World/Sydney/ Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said any shift by China away from imports of high quality Australian coal would be a “lose-lose” for the environment and trading relationship. Chinese media outlets on Monday reported China’s top economic planner had granted approval to power plants to import coal without clearance restrictions, except for Australia.

Australia on Tuesday urged China to clarify the reports, which it said would breach international trade rules if true. Coal is the third biggest export from Australia, which has been embroiled in a worsening diplomatic dispute with its largest trading partner China. Beijing has imposed a series of trade reprisals after Canberra called for an international inquiry into the source of the coronavirus.

Australia’s prime minister said a shift by China away from Australian coal imports would be “a bad outcome for the environment”. “It really is a lose-lose here because Australian coal, compared to that coal that is sourced from other countries, the other countries have 50% higher emissions than Australian coal,” Morrison told media on Tuesday.