China Coal Imports Fall 6% YoY as Prices Hit 3-Year High

China's September coal imports fell 5.7% year-on-year to 43.37 million tons, despite a 3% month-on-month rise, as robust inventories and restricted Indonesian supply push import prices to a near three-year high. The decline signals potential tightening in global thermal coal markets and may reflect China's ongoing shift toward domestic production and renewables. The price surge could pressure Chinese utilities and influence global coal trade flows.