June 17, 2025 - China’s coal production rose 4% year-on-year in May, official data showed on Monday, as domestic production continued to substitute for a decline in imports.

China’s May coal output was 403.28 million metric tons, also up from 393.31 million tons in April, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics.

Output over the first five months of the year reached 1.99 billion metric tons, up 6% compared with the same period of last year.

China’s coal production is expected to increase by 70 million to 80 million tons this year as China cuts back on imported coal, Xuegang Li, vice president at the China Coal Transportation and Distribution Association, told the Coaltrans China conference last week.

That would equate to a 1%-2% rise.

Last year, China produced a record high 4.76 billion tons of coal and imported a record 542.7 million.

China’s coal imports could fall by 50 million to 100 million tons in 2025, Li said, which would be an 18% year-on-year drop.