Coal Exports by Country 2024

Coal provides a valuable source of energy for many countries. When those nations cannot meet their energy needs with domestic coal, they import it from another place, likely one of the top coal exporters in the world.

Coal Applications

Coal comes from carbon deposits, typically found underground. The carbon in coal makes it a useful component in multiple industrial applications, especially energy production and manufacturing.

The multiple applications of coal make it a popular commodity for trade. To produce energy, a coal-burning plant will burn one of three types of coal to create steam to produce power. These three types of energy coal include lignite, bituminous, and subbituminous.

Outside of power production, coal can contribute to making steel, cement, tar, carbon fiber, medicines, and many other products.

Top Coal Exporters

The most recent data on coal exports comes from 2021. In that year, the top exporter of coal was Indonesia, which sent out 478 million short tons. A short ton consists of 2,000 pounds. Australia ranked second with coal exports of 403 million short tons.

Indonesian Coal Export Concerns

While Indonesia topped the coal exports in 2021, the country announced at the beginning of 2022 the suspension of its foreign exports of coal for the duration of January. The majority (60%) of Indonesia's power comes from burning coal, and at the start of 2022, the nation's power company did not have enough reserves available to ensure power for everyone in the country. Authorities cite local coal miners failing to sell to local energy producers during the previous year as a source for the supply deficit. Most of Indonesia's exported coal in 2021 went to Japan, China, South Korea, and India.

By the end of 2022, however, the nation made up for the brief stoppage of exporting coal and sent out 494 million metric tons of coal. It has a goal of exporting more than half a billion metric tons of coal in 2023. A metric ton weighs slightly more than a short ton, 2,204 pounds in a metric ton.

Exporters of the Least Amounts of Coal

While 120 countries don't export any coal, among those that do, the one at the bottom of the list in 2021 was Sweden. This country only exported 10 short tons of coal. Austria was the second lowest exporter of coal. That nation delivered 20 short tons of coal to other countries.