March 22 (Bloomberg) -- China's imports of coal jumped 51 percent from a year earlier in February as energy demand increased in the world's fastest-growing major economy.

Coal imports climbed to 3.9 million metric tons, the Customs General Administration of China said in Beijing today. Imports in the first two months of the year surged 66 percent to 8.6 million tons.

Coal exports fell 29.6 percent to 7.71 million tons in January and February and stood at 4.42 million tons last month, customs said in figures released earlier.

To contact the reporters on this story: Xiao Yu in Beijing at yxiao@bloomberg.net;

Last Updated: March 21, 2007 21:03 EDT