According to a report released on May 24 by China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), in April this year the country's domestic coal demand saw a slowdown in its growth, while domestic coal production increased at a steady rate. Meanwhile, China's coal imports in April increased significantly, coal exports decreased, while coal inventories at China's main ports and power plants were at sufficient levels. Coal prices in the domestic market in April followed a soft trend.
In April, shipments of coal in China by railway reached 187 million mt, up 6.1 percent year on year, though with a drop of 4.3 percentage points in this growth rate compared to April last year. In addition, China's coal imports in April totaled 25.05 million mt, up by 90.1 percent year on year, while its coal exports totaled 830,000 mt, down 39.9 percent year on year. Domestic coal consumption indicated a reduced growth rate in April, with coal consumption volumes in the power industry in April only showing a 0.5 percent year-on-year increase.