China will encourage coal miners to merge, restructure: state planner

Reuters

Published Apr 25, 2017 10:08PM ET

China will encourage coal miners to merge, restructure: state planner

BEIJING (Reuters) - Beijing will encourage coal companies to merge and restructure to increase efficiency in the industry and take measures to return thermal coal prices to a "reasonable" range, China's economic planning agency said in a statement on Wednesday.

The comment by the state planner, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), came after a meeting with coal mining firms on Tuesday as thermal coal prices continue to rally while utilities that consume the fuel lose money.

The NDRC issued a similar release on Tuesday following a gathering late last week with utilities.