News

Towhey: White House looks to coal for power, exports

While America’s pursuit of rare earth metals makes the most headlines, the Trump administration turned the spotlight on the nation’s biggest mining export success: Coal. For rare earths, the primary challenge is building domestic processing capacity to reduce dependence on Chinese refiners. That effort is expected to require years of investment in new facilities, technology […]

National Coal Council says U.S. coal exports limited by regulations, port bottlenecks

The United States possesses the world’s largest coal reserves and is becoming an increasingly important global supplier, but its ability to expand offshore sales is heavily constrained by prohibitive regulatory burdens, tax structures and severe infrastructure bottlenecks on the West Coast, according to a report released, by the National Coal Council. The report, titled “Outlook […]

US thermal coal exports rise for third month in May

US thermal coal exports rose from year-earlier levels in May primarily because of continued jumps in sub-bituminous shipments. An estimated 4.19mn short tons (st) (3.8mn metric tonnes) of steam coal departed US ports on its way to international customers, according to Commerce Department data released on Tuesday. That compared with 3.93mn st exported in May […]

US Hampton Roads coal exports rise in May

Coal exports out of Hampton Roads, Virginia, increased in May from a year earlier after three consecutive months of declines, partly because a terminal outage weighed on loadings in May 2025. Terminals at the port loaded a combined 2.78mn short tons (2.52mn metric tonnes) of metallurgical and thermal coal last month, rising from 2.5mn st […]

Will Trump Moves Provide Long-term Boost to U.S. Coal?

Summary The Trump administration’s efforts to boost U.S. coal mining, coal exports and use of coal in electric generation are expected to provide a short-term boost in the economic activity around the fossil fuel. But there remain uncertainties about the longer-term implications for coal and coal-fired generation in the U.S. Coal Benefits from Trump Actions, […]

Trump announces $700m coal investment using wartime powers

Donald Trump plans to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to revive the US coal industry, with much of the new funding coming through the president’s wartime powers. “So today we’re taking historic action to bring down the price of energy and the cost of living for all Americans with the power of clean, beautiful […]

US steam coal exports edge higher in April

US thermal coal exports rose for a second consecutive month in April after seaborne demand and prices jumped in the early stages of the US-Israeli war with Iran. Shipments of US steam coal and anthracite climbed to 4.29mn short tons (3.89mn metric tonnes) in the month from a revised 4.1mn st a year earlier, according […]

US coal producers squeezed as Iran crisis lifts demand and costs

US coal miners are gearing up to boost exports as the Iran crisis rattles energy markets, but soaring production and transport costs are complicating their ability to ship more tonnes. The blockage in the Strait of Hormuz has boosted demand for coal in European and Asian markets, which are increasing their use of coal-fired power plants. US […]

Trump announces new coal export terminal in Oakland

President Trump on Thursday said he will invoke Cold War-era emergency powers to direct a nearly $700-million investment into the waning coal industry, including $75 million for the construction of a new West Coast coal export terminal in Oakland. Speaking from the White House, Trump said he will use the Defense Production Act, a 1950 […]

Trump Designates US$685 Million to Support U.S. Coal, Power

Summary President Donald Trump significantly expanded his administration’s support for coal and coal-fired electric generation on Thursday by committing the federal government to provide about $685 million to support coal mining, coal exports and coal-fired electric generation in the U.S. Presidential Actions Support Coal President Donald Trump, flanked by his secretaries of Energy and Interior, […]