China's benchmark price for thermal coal fell for a second week to the lowest since the end of September as inventories at the port of Qinhuangdao increased.

Spot coal with an energy value of 5,500 kilocalories per kilogram dropped to a range of 625 yuan ($100) to 640 yuan per metric ton as of Sunday, down 0.4 percent on average from a week earlier, according to data released on Monday by the China Coal Transport and Distribution Association.

Prices typically slide with the onset of winter in China after utilities complete stockpiling to meet increased heating demand.