China's coal imports surged to a monthly record of 17.34 million tonnes in December, up 25 percent compared from the previous month, customs data supplied by China Customs Statistics (CCS) Information Center showed on Jan 19.
December's robust numbers bring China's full-year coal imports to a record 166.16 million tonnes in 2010, a 32 percent jump from the 125.83 million tonnes posted in 2009, according to Reuters calculations.
Some analysts said the strong surge in imports, which was helped by a demand surge during the harsh winter months in the first quarter and large price differentials in the second-quarter, would set the tone for imports in 2011.
Net coal imports for 2010 are also expected to exceed analysts' expectations for 133.5 million tonnes, according to a median prediction of 10 analysts polled in late November.
It was not clear how much of December's record imports were coking coal, but cold winter weather in the last two months has strained power supplies and pushed coal stocks at power generators to dangerously low levels in some provinces.
