China imported 26.84 million mt of coal in December, including lignite, thermal and metallurgical material, down 0.5% from November but up 52.2% year on year, according to preliminary data released Friday by China’s General Administration of Customs. China imported 26.97 million mt of coal in November this year. In December 2015, the country imported 17.64 million mt of coal. For the whole year 2016, total coal imports rose 25.2% year on year to 255.51 million mt. The country exported 0.760 million mt of coal in December, surging 72.72% year on year, the data showed. Exports over January-December 2016 surged 64.5% year on year to 8.78 million mt. The GAC did not give a breakdown of the December imports, which would be available later this month. –Michelle Zhao, [email protected] –Edited by Haripriya Banerjee, [email protected]