BEIJING/SINGAPORE—Chinese coal traders are selling at a loss or trying to delay imports after Beijing’s market interventions triggered a 50 percent price drop that saddled them with unprofitable supplies, according to several market participants. Domestic thermal coal futures have halved over the past three weeks after the government ordered top mining companies to slash prices, set a target, and raise output immediately to curb prices that had nearly quadrupled this year. The consequence of the Chinese regime’s intervention is that imports are likely to slow in November and December after already easing in October. Amid the price free-fall, importers have tried to quickly sell the coal shipments they booked in October when prices were at record highs, taking losses of between $40 to $100 per tonne, said three China-based coal traders. Some buyers walked away from contracts, forfeiting their deposits estimated at about 10 percent of the cargo’s value, which …