Indonesia, the world’s top thermal coal exporters, shipped 34.67 MnT coal in January this year, a 10.3% increase from 31.39 MnT in the same month in 2017, according to data from State Statistics.
“There has been more demand from China and prices are also much better than the previous,” said Hendra Sinadia, Executive Director of the Indonesian Coal Mining Association. However, the overall exports for this year may be unchanged from last year as prices have been softening.
Winter heating demand coupled with stricter safety measures at coal mines in China, which slowed supply, had boosted China’s appetite for imported coal.
Indonesia expects coal production may rise by 5% to 485 MnT this year, from 461 MnT of actual output in 2017, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry said in January. Exports were forecast at 371 MnT this year.
The State Statistics Agency did not give details exports for each destination.
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