Coal

[mhlld]

China to gradually reduce coke exports - Xinhua
06.23.2005, 11:21 PM

BEIJING (AFX) - China will gradually reduce its exports of coke, a key raw material for steelmakers, the official Xinhua news agency reported, citing an official from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

Bi Jingquan, an NDRC director, says that China pays a heavy environmental toll in extracting increasing amounts of coke for export.

China's coke output now accounts for more than half of the world's total while the share was only five pct at the beginning of 1990s, the report said.

State media also reported earlier this month that China's Shanxi province, the largest coal and coke producer in the country, is cutting its coke output by six mln tons.

Shanxi produced 80 mln tons of coke last year, accounting for over 50 pct of China's total output.

China began capping coal export quotas last year to preserve supplies for its booming steel and power industries, mainly hitting exports to Europe and Japan.

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http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2005/06/23/afx2109646.html