The figure dropped by 1.4 percentage points from the previous quarter, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

From the perspective of policy measures, the immediate task is to boost confidence of market entities rather than implement a strong stimulus.

Renewable energy use, low season, curbs on inflows, green drive factors.

Thanks to the digitization of the coal industry, miners no longer need to enter the deep mineshafts via walking or riding an outdated small train.

China's raw coal output posted stable expansion in March, official data showed.

All these factors will support a surge in steel consumption in the third and fourth quarters of this year, the VSA added.

Shanxi's raw coal output accounted for about 29 percent of the country's total in the first quarter.

In April, the domestic ferrosilicon market continued its weak trend, with Futures fluctuating and falling below a new low for the year.