BEIJING — China's raw coal output climbed 6.4 percent year-on-year to 1.95 billion metric tons in the first six months of the year, official data showed.

The volume rose 7.1 percent from the level in the same period of 2019, putting the average Jan.-June growth of the past two years at 3.5 percent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

From January to June, the country imported roughly 140 million tons of coal, shrinking 19.7 percent year-on-year.

In June alone, China's coal output reached 320 million tons, a decline of 5 percent from a year ago, the NBS said.