China's coal imports are expected to fall by 8 percent this year, a senior industry official said on Tuesday, amid growing concerns that the world's top consumer of the fuel will curb arrivals from abroad to boost the domestic market.
Arrivals from abroad will be 250 million tonnes, down from 271 million in 2017, said Zhao Jianguo, the vice chairman of China's Coal Transportation Association, in a presentation at an industry conference.
Shipments will drop because of greater domestic supplies and lower demand, he said.
Reporting by Meng Meng and Josephine Mason