China imported 20.7 million tonnes of coal and lignite over August, lower by a sharp 20.8% on month or 37.3% from last August, based on data from the country’s General Administration of Customs (GACC) published on September 7. Nevertheless, the tough controls imposed by Beijing on coal imports are expected to remain in place for the rest of this year, according to analysts.

Over January-August, China’s coal and lignite imports totalled 220.8 million tonnes, a tiny 0.2% higher on year, GACC data showed. “Despite the tough restrictions, China’s coal imports still exceeded 20 million tonnes last month, which generally matched the robust energy demand during summer period,” said a Shanghai-based analyst. “Meeting the target
Source: MySteel