China’s coal output fell 2 percent in July to its lowest in years as Beijing’s crackdown on polluting industries crimped mining in the world’s top consumer of the fuel, driving import demand as hot weather boosted thermal power generation. Carriages loaded with coal are seen at a mine pit of Huaibei Mining Group in Huaibei, Anhui province, China January 11, 2018. China Daily via REUTERS The country produced 281.5 million tonnes of coal in July, down 2 percent from the same month last year and the lowest since September 2016, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday. The drop came as a heatwave scorched the nation, prolonging a hotter-than-average summer and helping push coal imports to their highest in 4-1/2 years. That underscores the challenge for China as it aims to wean the nation off its favorite fuel as part of its war on smog. […]