Recently, preliminary statistics released by Chinese customs data show that in December 2010 imports amounted to 17.34 million tons of coal in China, creating the largest single month of 2010 coal imports, however, an increase sure to decline further to 6.14%. As international coal prices continued to rise, 1,2 2011, domestic coal imports in January may be reduced.

        Investment Advisor in the energy industry researcher Renhao Ning pointed out that China's coal imports in 2010 continued in 2009 has continued the trend of running high, but the growth rate of coal imports have started to slow down, despite the December 2010 monthly in China coal imports reached a record 17.34 million tons, growth of 25%, but an increase has dropped further to 6.34%. This shows that in December the main reason for the sharp rise in coal imports or because of China's coal market is subject to seasonal factors, cyclical demand rose, so would enlarge the amount of coal imports.

        So, starting from the December floods in Australia and due to the snowstorm weather in Europe, international coal prices continued to rise sharply. Australia's Newcastle port coal to take price index for December 3 in the coal price index for the Hong Kong $ 111.24 / ton, to Dec. 31, the port's coal price index has increased to $ 128.5 / ton in mid-January more is up to 136 U.S. dollars / ton. The sharp rise in international coal prices and domestic coal prices made further widening the gap is now the south part of the international coal power plant to the factory price is higher than the factory price of domestic coal to 100 yuan / ton.

        Given the sharp rise in international coal prices, and slow down China's coal import growth trend, China's coal import growth this year may be further slowed. And in December of last year high in China's coal imports and the current high international coal prices, the recent domestic coal imports are likely to decline. Investment Advisor in the Research Director Zhang Yan Lin pointed out that in 2009 China's coal imports was mainly due to the explosive growth of the international coal price was at the bottom, more competitive than China's domestic coal prices. So, coal prices rose sharply in the international situation, China's coal imports will slow down the market rational choice.

        Investment Advisor in the release of "2010-2015 China Coal Industry Investment Analysis and Forecast Report" noted that with the gradual recovery of the global economy, the international coal market has started to pick up, and from the international coal market performance in 2010 can be seen to have out its recovery speed is not slow. In such circumstances, China's coal consumption will be more rational treatment of corporate coal imports