Ball clay export boom but shipments stalled

Stuck at home: Malaysia is the largest exporter of ball clay in ­South-East Asia, which is an essential raw product for making ceramics, but despite its demand, tonnes of the material are sitting in warehouses waiting to be shipped out. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star

GEORGE TOWN: About 110,000 tonnes of ball clay with an export value of almost RM10mil are choking up warehouses and quarries in Malaysia.

They are stuck here because of a major spike in vessel charges due to the Ukraine-Russia war and a late Approved Permit (AP) approval.