China produced 247.5 million t of raw coal in February 2011, a massive 20% more than February 2010, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. Total monthly production fell 7.7% from 268.2 million t in January. Analysts have attributed this to partial shutdowns over the week-long Lunar New Year holiday.
The overall picture shows growth, however, with the total production of the first two months of the year at 515.8 million t – 13.5% up on last year’s statistics.
High production and decreased demand have pushed down domestic prices in recent weeks.