China is likely to reinstate limitations on coal imports in the coming months in a move to balance increasing production in domestic mines while limiting oversupply, according to Chinese trade media. The move would likely help curb CO2 emissions from the sector, which grew in 2017 for the first time in three years. Coal cargoes held back in the southern Fujian province this week have driven speculation that the government is about to re-impose restrictions, with the leading Fenwei Energy Information Services Co. reporting earlier on the week that they will be put in place from July. The government has not confirmed the move, but it imposed similar curbs last July as part of the crackdown on oversupply. The restrictions were then lifted in December as rising demand led to record high prices. Officials have also vowed that while the winter ban on coal-fired heating for millions of homes across 28 cities in northern China was partially abandoned due to a lack of natural gas amid rocketing prices, the campaign will continue this year to help decrease pollution levels. This week the environment ministry urged those same 28 cities to shut down factories in order to hold back a short-term “attack” of smog encapsulating most of the northern part of the country. Meanwhile, the Natural Resources Defense Council last month predicted coal consumption in China would fall 2% in 2018 compared to last year. (Sources: sxcoal – Carbon Pulse)
