China's coal output and sales contracted in the first seven months amid weak demand, adding pressure on the industry to undertake structural adjustments, the China National Coal Association said.

Coal output fell 3.5 percent year-on-year to 2.13 billion tons, with sales down 3.9 percent to 2.07 billion tons, the CNCA said.

Due to more competitive prices, coal imports grew 14.1 percent to 187 million tons, while exports sank 22 percent to 4.9 million tons.