China August Raw Coal Output Falls 7.7% to 360 Million Tons

The narrowing of the annual decline from July to August suggests the contraction in Chinese coal supply is easing, though output remains below year-earlier levels. That matters beyond China: seaborne thermal coal demand, and by extension the fuel-switching economics that shape coal-fired power generation and its emissions intensity, hinges on whether Chinese domestic supply keeps recovering. The open question is whether the sequential improvement continues into the autumn, or whether it reflects a one-month base effect.