SHANGHAI, July 1 (Reuters) - China issues the second batch of 2009 coke export quotas at 6.13 million tonnes, bringing this year's total quotas to 11.91 million tonnes, or less than 1 percent lower than last year's, according to the website of the Ministry of Commerce. (www.mofcom.gov.cn)
The second batch of quotas is slightly higher than 5.78 million tonnes issued in the first batch.
China's exports of coke, a key ingredient in steel making, have collapsed this year due to a decline of global demand. Total exports in the first five months this year tumbled 97 percent on the year to 197,431 tonnes, the official customs data showed.
Thirty-seven firms, including state-owned China Minmetals Corp, Sinochem Group and Sinosteel, share the quotas.
China has been trying to curb exports of energy-intensive and heavily polluting products, such as coke. It raised the export tax for coke to 40 percent last August.
The United States and European Union recently took action against China for restricting exports of industrial raw materials, including coke, bauxite and manganese. [ID:nN231104] (Reporting by Rujun Shen and Edmund Klamann; Editing by Ken Wills)