Coal imports surge on higher domestic rates; exports down

China's coal imports surged by 126.3 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2009, reaching 48.3 million tons, according to statistics released yesterday by China Customs.

Coal exports, at 11.7 million tons during the same period, decreased by 54.2 percent. Net coal imports reached 36.6 million tons, compared to 3.9 million tons in the same period last year.

China's raw coal output totaled 1.4 billion tons in the first half of the year, up 8.7 percent year on year, 6.1 percentage points lower than a year ago period, the National Development and Reform Commission disclosed on its website yesterday.