Operations will restart for a year at 15 coal mines across northern provinces.

Chinese policymakers have been trying to tame surging commodity prices — from coal to copper.

The notice also requires local government departments to guide and support companies in order to speed up applications for coal mining licences.

China’s imports of unwrought copper have also been trending lower since the sharp recovery from the pandemic amid stimulus spending in the middle of last year.

China sucked in a record 4.67 million tonnes of refined copper last year, making it the single most important physical driver of the pandemic recovery rally.

Gold consumption in the first six months jumped 69.21% to 547.05 tonnes.

Commodities as a whole have risen more than 20% this year, and around 50% in the case of crude oil.