China’s top planning body has relaxed working day restrictions on its coal mines after reduced output boosted prices, frustrating central planners’ desire to control both price and supply of the nation’s most important energy source.
China’s National Development and Reform Commission said on Thursday that all mines could produce for 330 days each year, after last week extending a production band of 276-330 days through the end of March.
Mines had been regulated on how many days they could operate, within the band.
煤矿的工作日数量受到监管,不得超出这个区间。
The relaxation came after output statistics for October showed Chinese coal production had dropped 11 per cent in the first 10 months of 2016 versus the same period the year before.
在发改委放松限制之前,10月产量统计数据显示,2016年头10个月,中国煤炭产量同比下降11%。
On a daily basis, output in October was down 1.5 per cent from September.
10月日产量环比下降1.5%。
The relaxation is likely to hit frothy thermal coal prices, Fitch Ratings said in a note on Thursday: The strong pricing rebound since early 2016 is unlikely to be sustained as the Chinese government relaxes its working-day curtailment policies to manage prices.
A prolonged slump in coal prices has allowed the Chinese state to re-exert control over a sector that was known for its private capital and ungovernable private mines when the Chinese economy was booming.
Many indebted private mines have shut or been absorbed by large state-owned mining companies, leaving Beijing wrestling with a re-nationalised industry in an economy that is more complex than during the heyday of state planning.
Output restrictions on thermal coal had been intended to bolster prices and allow China’s chronically bloated state coal miners to repay loans.
中国限制热能煤产量的本意是提升价格,并让长期臃肿的国有煤矿偿还贷款。
But planners failed to account for the degree to which private miners had also dropped out of the market, and were caught off-guard when investors profited by the squeeze to drive up futures prices of coking coal, used in steelmaking.
Coal futures are up roughly 200 per cent year-on-year, even after a sell-off this week as futures exchanges imposed measures to deter speculation.
煤炭期货同比上涨约200%,这还是在本周因期货交易所采取抑制投机措施而暴跌之后。
As recently as November 11 the NDRC had maintained it would stick with the band of working day output restrictions.
就在11月11日,中国发改委还坚称要严格执行工作日生产限制措施。
The increasing price of coal will not dampen the determination to cut coal capacity, its vice-secretary said at the time.
其副主任当时表示:煤价上涨不会打击我们去煤炭产能的决心。
The NRDC has also strong-armed state-owned miners to sign supply agreements with state-owned power plants at below-market prices in an attempt to persuade traders that prices have risen too much.
Power plant supply agreements that were set too low was one of the factors that deterred state coal mines from expanding two decades ago, opening the door for private entrepreneurs to capitalise on strong spot demand for coal as economic growth took off.