Where does the United States export the most coal?

In 2018, the United States exported 115.63 million short tons of coal to at least 53 countries.¹ About 53% of total coal exports in 2018 were metallurgical coal, and 47% were steam coal. The top five destinations of U.S. coal exports, the exported amount (in million short tons), and their shares of total U.S. coal exports in 2018 were

• India—17.19—15%
• The Netherlands—12.36—11%
• Japan—10.39—9%
• South Korea—9.32—8%
• Brazil—8.60—7%
Total for the top five—57.86—50%

Note: The ports in The Netherlands are major sources for the transshipment of coal to other European nations. Therefore, a large portion of this volume may ultimately be consumed by other countries in Europe.

¹ Preliminary data.

Learn more:
U.S. coal export data, annual and quarterly, by types of coal and destination countries
Quarterly Coal Report Table 7. U.S. Coal Exports
Energy Explained: Coal Imports and Exports

Last updated: April 12, 2019

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