China exported 3.66 million tons of coal in January, a decrease of 36.3 percent year-on-year, according to customs figures released on February 11.

Industry insiders said coal exports will continue to drop as global demand declines amid the economic downturn.

In 2008, China exported 45.43 million tons of coal, down 14.6 percent from a year earlier.

The country imported 40.4 million tons of coal last year, a decrease of 20.8 percent from 2007.

(China Daily February 12, 2009)