BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's imports of coking coal saw steady growth in November, according to data from General Administration of Customs.

Last month, the imports of the coking coal surged 16 percent year on year to 6.18 million tonnes, customs data showed.

The import turnover reached 7.89 million U.S. dollars, decreasing 3.9 percent year on year.

From January to November, a total of 72.8 million tonnes of coking coal was imported, up 17 percent from the previous year, according to the GAC.

The main use of coking coal is to refine coke, material for making steel.