China's surging demand for imported coal has created a boom in shorthaul dry bulk trade from ports on Russia's Pacific coast.
Russian coal exports to China reached 4.4mt in the first six months of this year, growing from just a handful of shipments in 2008.
This has seen demand rise for for panamaxes and supramaxes in the north Pacific region.
"A virtually new shorthaul trade from Russia to China has emerged this year," said London broker SSY in its monthly research report.
Poers at Vostochny and Vanino and newly developed facilities at Muchka Bay have benefited from China's thirst for coal with imports from Russia jumping from 30,000 tonnes in January to 1.5mt in June.
According to SSY Consultancy & Research director, Derek Langston, the largest ship size that can be used to load coal cargoes are panamaxes, which are the main vessel type in operation, but supramaxes are also used.
Energy companies in Russia are also developing additional coal-exporting facilities, with Siberian Coal Energy Company reported to be planning a new terminal at Vanino.
Russia, though, is just one exporting country that has benefited from the shift in the Pacific coal market and China becoming a net importer. Australia has also seen a dramatic increase in coal exports to
China, with 17,9m tonnes shipped between January and June, against 1,6m tonnes in the equivalent period in 2008.
The 17.9m tonnes included 9m tonnes of steam coal, which is used for power generation, and 8.9m tonnes of coking coal, used in steel production, SSY reported.
China's rising demand for coal is expected to slow in the second half of this year, though, after record imports of 16.1m tonnes in June.