BEIJING, May 18 (Reuters) - China's coal output inched down 1% year-on-year in April despite lower imports and a rise in coal-fired power generation during the month, statistics bureau data showed on Monday, indicating a continued tight supply-demand balance.
o April output was 385.63 million metric tons, down from a record high of 440.62 million tons in March.
o Output over the first four months of the year reached 1.58 billion metric tons, down 0.1% compared with the same period in 2025.
o China's thermal electricity production, which is generated mostly by coal-fired capacity, rose 3.1% in April and rose 3.6% over the first four months as a whole.
o China's coal imports fell 14% year-on-year in April to 33.1 million tons. Year-to-date imports through April were 149.4 million tons, down 2.1% on the year.
(Reporting by Colleen Howe; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
