In the first half of 2024, U.S. thermal coal exports to Asia and Africa saw a substantial increase, pushing overall U.S. coal exports—both thermal and metallurgical—to 53 million short tons (MMst), up from 49 MMst in the same period of 2023. Thermal coal exports to Asia rose by 19%, or 2.3 MMst, compared to the first half of 2023. This growth was primarily driven by higher deliveries to India and China. India, which accounted for 57% of U.S. thermal coal exports to Asia in 2023, continued to be a major importer in early 2024, particularly benefiting industrial sectors like brickmaking. Chinese power companies also contributed significantly to the increase. Thermal coal, used for generating electricity, has been the top export to Asia since 2017, surpassing Europe, which had been the leading destination since 2009.

In Africa, U.S. thermal coal exports jumped by 60%, from 3.3 MMst in the first half of 2023 to 5.3 MMst in the same period of 2024. This represents the highest volume of thermal coal exports to Africa in the first six months of the year since 2000, with exports only exceeding 4 MMst once before, in 2019. Nearly all (98%) of these exports went to Egypt and Morocco, with Morocco receiving 2.8 MMst and Egypt 2.4 MMst, compared to 1.4 MMst and 1.8 MMst, respectively, in early 2023. The rise in exports to North Africa is largely due to strong demand from industries such as cement production and brickmaking, which value the high heat content of U.S. thermal coal for its efficiency in manufacturing processes.

Meanwhile, U.S. thermal coal exports to Europe have decreased. Following a surge in 2022 and early 2023 due to sanctions on Russian energy after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, exports to Europe rose from 6.4 MMst in 2021 to 14 MMst in 2022. In 2023, exports to Europe totaled 10.5 MMst, but this upward trend has since declined. In the first half of 2024, exports to Europe fell to 2.4 MMst, a 63% decrease from the same period in 2023. This drop is attributed to weaker demand caused by a mild winter, increased use of natural gas by power companies, and greater reliance on renewable energy sources.

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