OREANDA-NEWS. January 29, 2015. Thermal and coking coal shipments to China from Port Waratah’s terminals at Newcastle port in eastern Australia increased 13% month on month in December to 1.66 million mt, despite Beijing’s imposition of a 6% tax on imported thermal coal in mid-October, according to a company report.

Shipments of coal exports from the company’s two coal terminals at Newcastle port had slumped to an 18-month low of 1.47 million mt in November from 2.52 million mt in October, according to earlier Port Waratah Coal Services data.

For December, the average price of Newcastle 5,500 kcal/kg NAR thermal coal — a grade sought by Chinese buyers — was USD53.17/mt FOB on a 20% ash basis, and only marginally lower than November’s average price of USD 53.80/mt, according to Platts prices.

Seasonal factors and the traditional year-end rush to ship coal exports may have been behind December’s increase in Newcastle coal exports to China.

The PWCS terminals shipped a total of 10.72 million mt of coal exports that month compared with 9 million mt in November, the PWCS data showed.

China-bound ships took delivery of 25.1 million mt of coal exports from Port Waratah’s coal terminals in 2014, an increase on 24 million mt shipped to China in 2013, according to PWCS shipping data.

Total coal shipments from the PWCS terminals at Newcastle port in 2014 were 111.89 million mt, up 2.4% from 109.22 million mt in the preceding year period, the company data showed.

Trade data from the Port of Newcastle showed the facility shipped a total of 159 million mt of coal exports in 2014 worth A\\$13.78 billion (\\$11.3 billion), a report on the company’s website said.

The 47.1 million mt difference between the PWCS and Port of Newcastle coal shipping levels for 2014 is most likely accounted for by a third coal terminal at the port operated by the Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group, according to Platts analysis.

Shipment data for Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group’s terminal at Newcastle port was unavailable for December.