U.S. thermal coal exports to Asia and Africa surge as shipments to Europe fall

U.S. exports of thermal coal to Asia and Africa surged in the first half of 2024, helping to drive overall U.S. coal exports (thermal and metallurgical) to 53 million short tons (MMst) from 49 MMst in the first half of 2023.

Exports of thermal coal from the United States to Asia increased by 19% (2.3 MMst) in the first half of 2024 compared with the same period in 2023. The increase was driven mainly by greater deliveries to India and China. India accounted for 57% of these exports to Asia in 2023 and continued to receive large amounts of U.S. thermal coal in the first half of 2024, led by industrial customers in the brickmaking sector. Chinese power companies accounted for most of the rest of the increase.

Thermal coal is generally burned to generate steam for the production of electricity, while metallurgical coal is a raw material used to generate coke, a key ingredient in making steel.

Asia has received more U.S. thermal coal than any other region since 2017, when it overtook Europe, which previously had been the top destination in every year since 2009.

Exports of thermal coal from the United States to Africa increased 60%, from 3.3 MMst in the first six months of 2023 to 5.3 MMst in the same period of 2024. Going back to 2000, U.S. exporters have never shipped more than 5 MMst of thermal coal to Africa during the first six months of the year, and U.S. thermal coal exports to Africa have only exceeded 4 MMst once, in 2019. In the first half of 2024, U.S. exporters shipped virtually all (98%) of this thermal coal to Egypt and Morocco. In the first six months of 2024, exporters shipped 2.8 MMst to Morocco and 2.4 MMst to Egypt, compared with 1.4 MMst and 1.8 MMst, respectively, in the same months of 2023. A major reason for increased exports of U.S. thermal coal into North Africa has been strong demand by industry, mostly from cement plants and brickmakers. These customers value the high heat content of U.S. thermal coal, which makes their manufacturing operations more efficient.

U.S. thermal coal exports to Europe rose in 2022 and in the first half of 2023 due to sanctions on the purchase of energy from Russia following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Exports from the United States to Europe increased from 6.4 MMst in 2021 to 14 MMst in 2022, when sanctions on Russia took effect. U.S. exports to Europe totaled 10.5 MMst in 2023; however, that resurgence has faded. In the first half of 2024, U.S. thermal coal exports to Europe totaled 2.4 MMst, 63% less than during the same period in 2023 due to weak demand related to a mild winter, greater use of natural gas by power companies, and increased generation from renewable sources.

Principal contributor: Jonathan Church