BEIJING (Reuters) - China's coal imports from North Korea eased last month after new U.N. Security Council sanctions curbing the isolated country's sales of the fuel abroad came into effect, as Russia, Mongolia, Australia and Indonesia raised shipments, data showed on Friday.
January imports eased 13 percent from a year earlier to 1.45 million tonnes. They were down 28 percent from December,
January's volume accounted for almost 20 percent of the latest U.N. annual sales quota of 7.5 million tonnes or $400.9 million, whichever is smaller, on North Korea's biggest export.
The imports came before Beijing's decision on Saturday to ban coal shipments entirely after Pyongyang tested an intermediate-range ballistic missile in its first direct challenge to the international community since U.S. President Donald Trump took office.
North Korea was China's biggest supplier last year of high-grade anthracite coal, used mainly by the country's steel mills, with imports reaching 22.4 million tonnes, up 14.5 percent compared with 2015.
Analysts have said steel mills will likely be forced to buy more expensive domestic anthracite or seek alternatives further afield from Russia or Australia, driving up costs.
Coal shipments from Mongolia [COA-MNCN-IMP] rose 154 percent to 3.12 million tonnes, the fourth highest on record, as traders took advantage of its significant price advantage over Australian coal.
Australian imports [COA-AUCN-IMP] were up 70.8 percent from a year earlier at 7.27 million tonnes.
Australian Newcastle spot prices [GCLNWCPFBMc1] fell sharply from about $93 per ton at the end of December to about $83 by the end of January.