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2023 Seaborne Coal Imports Could Add Pressure on the Dry Bulk Market

Demand for seaborne coal cargoes could take a hit during 2023, exerting pressure on the dry bulk market as a whole. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Intermodal said that “China’s coal imports from January to October were 230.1m mt, a decrease of around 10.7% y-o-y (2021 totalled 323.2m mt). The question is if this negative momentum will remain in 2023, pressuring the Dry Baltic index. While the easing of Chinese Covid strict policies which coupled with the 70% coal reliance of North China for its heating boiler amidst the upcoming colder winter can trigger a demand boost for coal, we will focus on some adverse fundamentals which point to pessimistic expectations for its 2023 seaborne coal imports”.