Aslan pointed out that the industry could not accomplish most of the planned activities and projects last year due to the pandemic.

Authorities also said they will enhance efforts to clean up the environment.

China's coal imports bounced back in December as domestic demand for the fuel surged during the harsh early winter.

Its main imports from Australia last year included iron ore and natural gas, which took up 70.6 percent of the total Chinese imports from Australia.

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued a regulation on carbon emissions trading, along with an allocation plan for emissions quotas on Jan 5. The regulation and the plan will take effect on Feb 1.

China has sent a strong signal that it will ramp up efforts to curb carbon emissions with a vow to include climate impact in the nation's environmental impact assessment.

With more than 10,000 registered coal traders, the CTCTC is the largest coal trading center in China.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, in 2020, China's crude steel output exceeded 1 billion tons, reaching 1.053 billion tons.