Noble expects China 2011 coal imports flat at 90Mt

May 30, 2011 |Reuters

Noble Group expects Chinese import demand for coal in 2011 to remain steady around 90 million tonnes, a company executive said on May 30.

Although imports by China, the world's largest producer and consumer of coal, will remain steady in 2011, they are set to increase to as much as 200 million tonnes in 2015, Neil Dhar, executive vice president of Noble Group, told a coal industry conference.

China's imports fluctuate according to its domestic coal prices in recent months, higher domestic prices have resulted in an increase in imports, particularly from Indonesia.

India will surpass Japan to become the leading buyer of Indonesian coal this year, the Indonesian Coal Mining Association said earlier on May 30

In the long term, China and India's rapidly increasing coal demand is expected to drive increases in production.