BEIJING, May 19 (Reuters) - China's coal production in April rose 3.8% from a year earlier, statistics bureau data showed on Monday.

April coal output was 389.31 million metric tons, up from the year-earlier level but down from March's record monthly high of 440.58 million tons.

Production for the first four months of the year was 1.58 billion tons, a 6.6% increase compared with the same period last year.

China's coal imports last month fell 16% from a year earlier as weaker prices made imports less profitable and buyers turned to domestic coal.