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 and 2023 are preliminary.

Highlights for the first quarter of 2023

• U.S. coal production during the first quarter of 2023 totaled 148.7 million short tons (MMst), which was 2.1% higher than the previous quarter and 0.2% lower than the first quarter of 2022. Production in the Western region, which represented about 54.1% of total U.S. coal production in the first quarter of 2023, totaled about 80.4 MMst (5.4% lower than the first quarter of 2022).
• U.S. coal exports for the first quarter of 2023 (24.6 MMst) increased 17.2% from the fourth quarter of 2022. The average price of U.S. coal exports during the first quarter of 2023 was $177.89 per short ton.
• The United States continued to import coal primarily from Colombia (67.8%) and Canada (14.8%). No imports from Australia or Indonesia were recorded for the first quarter of 2023. U.S. coal imports in the first quarter of 2023 totaled 1.0 MMst. The average price of U.S. coal imports during the first quarter of 2023 was $147.05 per short ton, the highest quarterly price recorded since at least 2000.
• Steam coal exports totaled 12.2 MMst (26.8% higher than the fourth quarter of 2022), the highest level seen since the fourth quarter of 2018. Metallurgical coal exports totaled 12.4 MMst (9.1% higher than the fourth quarter of 2022).
• U.S. coal consumption totaled 100.3 MMst in the first quarter of 2023, which was 13.4% lower than the 115.8 MMst reported in the fourth quarter of 2022 and 25% lower than the 133.7 MMst reported in the first quarter of 2022. The electric power sector accounted for about 89.5% of total U.S. coal consumption in the first quarter of 2023.
• In the first quarter of 2023, coal stocks grew to 134.1 MMst from 112.0 MMst at the end of the fourth quarter of 2022 (a 19.7% increase). Stocks in the electric power sector increased from 90.0 MMst at the end of the fourth quarter of 2022 to 110.1 MMst, the highest level since the fourth quarter of 2020.