RAVEN, Va. (AP) - A company that owns a coal mine in Virginia has furloughed 600 workers until the end of the year. The reported reason behind the move is the trade war between the U.S. and China.
The Bristol Herald Courier reported Monday that Coronado Coal idled its mining facility in Buchanan County on Dec. 16.
Tarah Kesterson, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, said the company cited the trade war between China and the U.S. as a reason for the furlough. But she said the company also plans to bring the mine back into full production by Jan. 1.
Coronado did not specify what it was looking for between China and the U.S. But tensions appeared to ease earlier this month with the announcement of a “Phase One” trade deal. China has agreed to buy an additional $200 billion worth of American goods and services. That agreement is expected to be signed in January.
The idling of the mine in Buchanan County caps a tumultuous year for southwest Virginia’s coal industry. The region also saw the bankruptcy of Blackjewel LLC. The firm employed more than 480 people in the state.
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