The Quarterly Coal Report (QCR) provides detailed quarterly data on U.S. coal production, exports, imports, receipts, prices, consumption, quality, and stocks. The report also provides data on U.S. coke production, consumption, stocks, imports, and exports. All data for 2022 and previous years are final. All data for 2023 are preliminary.

Highlights for the fourth quarter of 2023

• U.S. coal production during the fourth quarter of 2023 totaled 140.8 million short tons (MMst), which was 3.3% lower than the previous quarter and 3.4% lower than the fourth quarter of 2022. Production in the Western region, which represented about 56% of total U.S. coal production in the fourth quarter of 2023, totaled about 78.9 MMst (2.4% lower than the fourth quarter of 2022).
• U.S. coal exports for the fourth quarter of 2023 (26.2 MMst) increased 5.2% from the third quarter of 2023. The average price of U.S. coal exports during the fourth quarter of 2023 was $149.22 per short ton.
• The United States continued to import coal primarily from Colombia (65.6%) and Canada (22.2%). No imports from Australia or Indonesia were recorded for the fourth quarter of 2024. U.S. coal imports in the fourth quarter of 2023 totaled 1 MMst. The average price of U.S. coal imports during the fourth quarter of 2023 was $137.86 per short ton.
• Steam coal exports totaled 13.5 MMst (19.4% higher than the third quarter of 2023). Metallurgical coal exports totaled 12.7 MMst (6.6% lower than the third quarter of 2023).
• U.S. coal consumption totaled 100.8 MMst in the fourth quarter of 2023, which was 23.6% lower than the 131.9 MMst reported in the third quarter of 2023 and 13.5% lower than the 116.5 MMst reported in the fourth quarter of 2022. The electric power sector accounted for about 90.6% of the total U.S. coal consumption in the fourth quarter of 2023.
• In the fourth quarter of 2023, coal stocks grew to 154.4 MMst from 139.7 MMst at the end of the third quarter of 2023 (a 10.6% increase). Stocks in the electric power sector increased to 131.4 MMst from 116.6 MMst at the end of the third quarter of 2023.