The Australian government has approached China seeking more clarity over potential disruption to its coal shipments, after many large importers were told by the government to stop buying Australian coal. Coal trade between the two countries has been dragged into political disputes on more than one occasion this year, after Canberra's calls for an independent investigation into the origins of the Covid-19 outbreak drew a strong reaction from Beijing. But Chinese bids have notably dried up in recent days on buyer concerns over whether Australian coal would be able to clear customs, threatening the biggest impact on ... (full story)