China’s Weak Industrial Recovery Is Weighing on Coal Consumption
12 May 2023
A coal depot near a power station
in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province on March 11, 2022. Photo: Bloomberg
(Bloomberg) — China’s
weak property market and sluggish industrial activity are weighing on coal
prices even as a spate of government safety checks curbs output.
Key industrial users of
the fuel including steel mills and cement plants are demanding more discounts
on coal purchases to help cover losses, and many have curtailed operations,
Chao Yuke, an analyst with the China Coal Transport and Distribution Association,
said at a briefing on Wednesday.