U.S. Coal Exports Boom Amid Weakening Domestic Market: EIA

Strong international demand, particularly in Asia, has provided relief for U.S. coal producers reeling from the effects of the shale revolution, which has led to national coal consumption declining every year since 2008, according to the Energy Information Administration.

• The agency reports that U.S. coal exports reached 116 million short tons (MMst) in 2018, the highest level in five years, based on foreign trade data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau. Exports of coal from the United States have increased since 2016 as international prices have made it more economic for U.S. producers to sell coal overseas, primarily to the power sector and industrial customers, particularly in China and India.
• In 2018, the United States exported 15 percent of its coal, and the remaining 85 percent was sold primarily to power sector and industrial customers
• Coal export prices have increased in each of the past two years to average $59 per ton for steam coal and $138 per ton for metallurgical coal in 2018.
• U.S. steam coal exports to Asia have also increased during the past two years, from 5 MMst in 2016 to 20 MMst in 2018, or nearly 40% of total U.S. steam coal exports. India, Japan, and South Korea were the primary Asian destinations for U.S. steam coal