China’s Coal and Steel Production Shrink Again as Demand Slumps
Stockpiles of coal at the Guoyuan Port Container Terminal in Chongqing, China.
Photographer: Na Bian/BloombergChina churned out less coal and steel in September as demand slumped and producers heeded the government’s call to rein in excessive output.
The nation dug up less coal than last year for a third month after the authorities zeroed in on unsafe and overproducing mines. Steelmaking, another commodity in the crosshairs of Beijing’s anti-involution drive, saw output drop for a fifth month to its lowest since December 2023.