The Quarterly Coal Report (QCR) provides detailed quarterly data on U.S. coal production, exports, imports, receipts, prices, consumption, quality, and stocks as well as on refined coal. The report also provides data on U.S. coke production, consumption, stocks, imports, and exports. All data for 2021 and previous years are final. All data for 2022 are preliminary.

Highlights for the fourth quarter of 2022

• U.S. coal production during the fourth quarter of 2022 totaled 145.7 million short tons (MMst), which was 5.6% lower than the previous quarter and 0.5% lower than the fourth quarter of 2021. Production in the Western region, which represented about 55.5% of total U.S. coal production in the fourth quarter of 2022, totaled about 80.9 MMst (5.2% lower than the fourth quarter of 2021).
• U.S. coal exports for the fourth quarter of 2022 (20.8 MMst) increased 0.5% from the third quarter of 2022. The average price of U.S. coal exports during the fourth quarter of 2022 was $189.72 per short ton.
• The United States continued to import coal primarily from Colombia (65.1%) and Canada (23.8%). No imports from Australia or Indonesia were recorded for the fourth quarter of 2022. U.S. coal imports in the fourth quarter of 2022 totaled 1.4 MMst. The average price of U.S. coal imports during the fourth quarter of 2022 was $141.72 per short ton.
• Steam coal exports totaled 9.6 MMst (4.5% higher than the third quarter of 2022). Metallurgical coal exports totaled 11.3 MMst (2.6% lower than the third quarter of 2022).
• U.S. coal consumption totaled 115.8 MMst in the fourth quarter of 2022, which was 20.2% lower than the 145.1 MMst reported in the third quarter of 2022 and 1.3% higher than the 114.4 MMst reported in the fourth quarter of 2021. The electric power sector accounted for about 90.9% of the total U.S. coal consumption in the fourth quarter of 2022.
• In the fourth quarter of 2022, coal stocks grew to 112 MMst from 102 MMst at the end of the third quarter of 2022 (a 9.9% increase). Stocks in the electric power sector increased to 90 MMst from 80.1 MMst at the end of the third quarter of 2022.