Customs data showed on Friday that China’s coal imports in June rose 12% year-on-year, as heatwaves in the world’s top consumer of the fuel supported demand.
Shipments to China were 44.6 million metric tons in J
une, according to the Generation Administration of Customs. That was up from 43.82 million tons in May.
Record-high temperatures swept across northwest and east China in June, boosting electricity demand as people turned on their air conditioning to stay cool.
China has warned that it is facing longer and hotter heat waves because of climate change.
On the supply front, lower coal production during the first part of the year has led to increased imports. China’s coal output from January to May was down 3% from a year earlier at 1.86 billion tons.
The data showed that in the first half of 2024, China’s overall coal imports were up 12.5% from a year earlier, at 250 million tons.
Source: Engineering News
