Australian coal body calls for urgent talks on new tariffs

Australia must hold urgent talks with China to exempt coal producers from new tariffs in a free trade agreement due to be completed this year, an industry body said, following China's move to reintroduce coal tariffs after nearly a decade.

China, the world's top coal importer, said on Thursday it would impose import tariffs on the commodity in its latest effort to prop up ailing domestic miners that have been hit by rising costs and plunging prices.

The tariffs would hit Australian producers hardest as its main coal export rival, Indonesia, is exempt from the tariffs through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' free trade agreement with China.