Coal news and updates

China Sept coal imports down 0.9% month-on-month

China's total September coal imports, including lignite, dropped 0.9 percent from a month earlier to 25.7 million tonnes, data from the website of the China Coal Transport and Distribution Association showed on Wednesday.

Shipments in September were up 38.11 percent compared with a year ago, the data showed. Total imports in the first nine months of the year reached 238.76 million tonnes, up 17.6 percent.

"Domestic demand continued to grow in September but the (market) share of domestic coal increased," the association said.

While the decline in imports was relatively small, overall coal sales increased in September, the association said, with volumes from major mines over the Sept. 11-20 period reaching 47.43 million tonnes, up 13.4 percent compared with the previous 10 days.

The association's data did not give a breakdown on the types of coal imported. The customs agency will release detailed import and export data on Oct. 21.

Source: Reuters