China thermal coal import outlook and Indonesian supply assumptions

AI Summary

China's coal import outlook anticipates softer buying but sustained arrivals, with shipping effects depending on vessel and loading locations. Indonesian cargo availability remains critical for Panamax vessels involved in coal exports to China.

China’s coal import outlook spans softer buying through broadly sustained recent arrivals, but the effect on shipping will depend on which vessels carry the coal and where it is loaded. Panamax has held up better than Supramax in the first eight months of 2026. Its dependence on Indonesian cargoes makes export availability there particularly important ...