An increasing number of overseas suppliers have become involved in Guangdong's coal market, as the south China province's imported coal volume soared during the first three quarters of the year.

The provincial Economic and Trade Commission said Guangdong imported 12.96 million tons of coal from foreign countries, growing by 96 percent over the same period last year. Just over 80 million tons of coal came from sources outside the province, up 18.1 percent on a year-on-year basis.

Guangdong, a major coal consumer in China, shut down all its coalmines last March for safety concerns.

The commission said the province's major overseas coal suppliers are Vietnam, Australia and Indonesia, and to a lesser degree Russia and Canada.

Vietnam, Guangdong's largest coal supplier, provided about half of the province's coal imports during the first three quarters of the year.

Experts foresee a steady increase of overseas coal imports to Guangdong next year, as northern Chinese coal mines limited by cost and transportation capacity may not be able to fully satisfy the southern markets demands.

(Xinhua News Agency November 3, 2006)