Metallurgical Coal Exports by Country
Metallurgical coal exports by country measure the amount of metallurgical coal exported in each country, measured in million metric tons (Mmt) per year. Metallurgical (coking) coal is not burned for power — it is baked into coke for blast furnaces to make steel. Its trade follows steel, not electricity. The statistics are based on the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) International Energy Statistics. The table covers 34 countries with a reported 2024 value and includes data from 2019 to 2024. The world total stood at 373.5 Mmt in 2024, up from 337.8 Mmt in 2023.
The map highlights where metallurgical coal exports are most concentrated in 2024, while the table below provides the full 2019-2024 series. The analysis below highlights the countries and changes that stand out most clearly in the data. Analysis: Australia alone accounted for about 46 percent of the world total in 2024, and Australia and Mongolia together for about 61 percent. The top three accounted for about 75 percent, the top five for about 93 percent, and the top ten for about 99 percent. Australia's metallurgical coal exports were about 3.0 times Mongolia's, the second-largest exporter — a gap that explains much of the global structure. Data: Australia (171.1 Mmt) was the largest exporter in 2024, ahead of Mongolia (56.4 Mmt). The next largest were United States (51.334 Mmt), Russia (37.105 Mmt), Canada (31.547 Mmt), Mozambique (9.578 Mmt), Netherlands (6.286 Mmt). Analysis: The top five alone — Australia, Mongolia, United States, Russia, Canada — already make up about 93 percent of world total, while the remaining 29 countries together account for less than 7 percent. Context: This concentration means that shifts in just a few countries drive the world total. Metallurgical coal exports were highly concentrated in 2024. The top ten exporters accounted for about 99.1% of the world total, leaving about 0.9% for the other 24 countries. Australia was by far the largest exporter, followed by Mongolia, the United States, Russia, and Canada. Australia dominated exports among Oceania's reported exporters, while Mongolia and China were the leading exporters in Asia. The United States and Canada were the largest reported exporters in North America, although their combined volumes were much smaller than Australia's. Mongolia saw the largest increase among the major exporters, rising from 44.162 Mmt in 2023 to 56.4 Mmt in 2024, an increase of 12.238 Mmt, or about 27.7%. Australia increased by 7.379 Mmt and Mozambique by 6.775 Mmt. Poland recorded the largest decline among the countries shown, falling from 3.058 Mmt to 2.658 Mmt, a decrease of 0.4 Mmt. Overall, the world total rose by 35.7 Mmt, or about 10.6%, to 373.5 Mmt. These changes show that global metallurgical coal exports increased in 2024, with substantial growth in Mongolia, Australia, and Mozambique. The reported world total increased from 333.8 Mmt in 2019 to 373.5 Mmt in 2024, although it fell to a low of 294.4 Mmt during the period. Australia's exports declined from 185.173 Mmt in 2019 to 171.126 Mmt in 2024, while Mongolia's increased from 23.842 Mmt to 56.4 Mmt. The United States also increased from 48.004 Mmt to 51.334 Mmt, while Russia rose from 24.572 Mmt to 37.105 Mmt. Overall, Australia remained the dominant exporter throughout the period, but its export volume declined while several other major exporters increased their volumes. Context: Metallurgical (coking) coal is not burned for power — it is baked into coke for blast furnaces to make steel. Its trade follows steel, not electricity. Unlike the table which shows “how much,” this section explains “why it matters”: concentration at this level means supply, trade and energy security are tied to a handful of economies. The EIA reports metallurgical coal separately from other coal types precisely because its uses and markets differ. The statistics are based on the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) International Energy Statistics. Values represent annual metallurgical coal exports in million metric tons (Mmt). Where no value is available, the cell is left empty. A value of 0 indicates that the source reports zero. The sum of individually listed countries may differ slightly from the reported world total due to rounding. This page covers metallurgical coal exports only and does not include other coal types, which are reported separately in the source.
Metallurgical Coal Exports by Country
1
171.13
2
56.4
3
51.33
4
37.11
5
31.55
6
9.58
7
6.29
8
2.66
9
2.53
10
1.72
11
0.93
12
0.73
13
0.61
14
0.54
15
0.14
16
0.1
17
0.1
18
0.07
19
0.02
20
0
21
0
22
0
23
0
24
0
25
0
26
0
27
0
28
0
29
0
30
0
31
0
32
0
33
0
34
0
Who Leads Metallurgical Coal Exports?
Where Metallurgical Coal Is Concentrated
What Changed Most Recently? (2023-2024)
How Has Metallurgical Coal Evolved Since 2019?
Metallurgical coal in Context
Metallurgical Coal Exports by Country
#
1
185.17
179.64
166.45
165.8
163.75
171.13
2
23.84
18.68
11.18
20.94
44.16
56.4
3
48
38.11
40.8
42.16
46.34
51.33
4
24.57
29.6
31.62
31.9
36.49
37.11
5
33.86
26.99
26.19
24.08
30.63
31.55
6
3.17
1.57
2.84
2.68
2.8
9.58
7
5.07
4.3
4.84
4.68
4.36
6.29
8
2.58
2.63
3.38
3.26
3.06
2.66
9
1
1.83
1.89
3.57
2.04
2.53
10
1.92
1.7
1.17
1.93
1.67
1.72
11
1.44
1.11
1.19
1.21
0.66
0.93
12
0.77
1.04
0.96
0.79
0.82
0.73
13
1.4
0.87
0.73
0.5
0.37
0.61
14
0.91
0.47
1.01
0.6
0.41
0.54
15
0
0
0
0.01
0.01
0.14
16
0.07
0
0.05
0.23
0.1
0.1
17
0.01
0.01
0.01
0.11
0.15
0.1
18
0.02
0.04
0.06
0
0.01
0.07
19
0
0
0
0
0.02
0.02
20
0
0
0
0
0
0
21
0
0
0
0
0
0
22
0
0
0
0
0
0
23
0
0
0
0
0
0
24
0
0
0
0
0
0
25
0
0
0
0
0
0
26
0
0
0
0
0
0
27
0
0
0
0
0
0
28
0
0
0
0
0
0
29
0
0
0
0
0
0
30
0
0
0
0
0
0
31
0
0
0
0
0
0
32
0
0
0
0
0
0
33
0
0
0.01
0
0
0
34
0
0
0
0
0
0
Methodology
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is metallurgical coal export concentrated among few countries?
Metallurgical coal exports are concentrated because production and established export capacity are concentrated among a relatively small number of countries, particularly major producers such as Australia and the United States.
How does metallurgical coal export differ from thermal coal export?
Metallurgical coal exports specifically serve global steelmakers, while thermal coal exports serve power plants, and their markets differ.
Why do some countries show zero metallurgical coal exports?
Zero indicates reported zero exports, while an empty cell indicates no reported value.
Data Disclaimer: Projected data (future years) are estimates based on mathematical models. Actual values may differ. Learn about our methodology →
Sources
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Updated: 04.09.2026https://www.eia.gov/international/data/world/coal-and-coke
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