By David Winning 
 

SYDNEY--Glencore PLC (GLEN.AU) said it would curb Australian coal output and defer some new projects, in the latest response by a major mining company to weak commodity prices and subdued customer demand.

Glencore, which owns several large mines in eastern Australia's Queensland and New South Wales states, said it would reduce its Australian coal exports by 15 million metric tons this year.

"Production initiatives will occur at a number of sites," Glencore said in a statement. "These include some underground roster changes, the scaling back of some open pit mining activities and revisions to the product portfolio with the objective of tailoring both volumes and qualities to better match current market demand," the company said.

Glencore didn't say which of its mines would be affected.

-Write to David Winning at david.winning@wsj.com

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