Chinese coal mines produced 320.38 million metric tonnes (mt) in December, a 2.1% YoY increase and the highest output in three years, according to REUTERS/Stringer. The increase followed the approval of CNY45bn ($6.64bn) of new coal mining projects in 2018, which led to a 5.2% hike in annual output to 3.55 billion mt, the most since 2015. However, Shaanxi, which makes up around 20% of China's annual coal production, is set to introduce the country's tightest-ever regulations on illegal production after a major accident in January. The new regulation is expected tighten domestic supply.
Chinese coal mines produced 320.38 million metric tonnes (mt) in December, a 2.1% YoY increase and the highest output in three years, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. The increase followed the approval of CNY45bn ($6.64bn) of new coal mining projects in 2018, which led to a 5.2% hike in annual output to 3.55 billion mt, the most since 2015. However, Shaanxi, which makes up around 20% of China's annual coal production, is set to introduce the country's tightest-ever regulations on illegal production after a major accident in January. The new regulation is expected tighten domestic supply.