Sarah Chen

China is temporarily lifting restrictions on coal imports in an effort to ensure sufficient energy supplies this winter, according to people with knowledge of the matter.The National Development & Reform Commission has informed local governments that it’s temporarily removing previously imposed measures to limit overseas purchases, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the information isn’t public.

China’s war against smog is lifting prices for energy all over the world, according to analysts at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and the International Energy Agency. Policies promoting natural gas use have helped boost China’s consumption by 19 percent this year and raised it to the world’s second-biggest importer of liquefied shipments of the fuel, lifting prices for spot cargoes.