Politics
by Tony Raggatt
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NORTH Queensland stands to bear the brunt of an escalating trade war with China with thousands of jobs and a $20bn coal export industry at risk.
In a developing situation, China is said to have banned imports of Australian coal with much of those imports comprising coking coal mined in North Queensland.
CFMEU mining division Mackay district president Stephen Smyth said labour hire firms were already laying off workers from BHP-owned mines though he could not say that was directly related to the China ban.
"Clearly, the situation is concerning if all the reports are right, particularly for metallurgical coal and what that is worth to us and regional Queensland," Mr Smyth said.