BEIJING, July 24 (Reuters) - China's coal imports rose in June from Mongolia and Russia as utilities and steel mills sought out more cheap raw material even as the government tried to curb purchases of foreign fuel.
Coal-fired power demand rose last month during a prolonged heatwave in the north ahead of the peak consumption period.
Since mid-February the two nations have helped fill a supply gap left by China's ban on coal from North Korea. In the first half of the year, imports from Mongolia were up 79.5 percent from last year's 10.4 million tonnes, customs data showed on Monday.