Russian coal exports could face higher costs and weaker investment incentives as proposed rail contract changes shift risk onto shippers. Proposed amendments to Russia’s railway transport charter that would enshrine a ship-or-pay principle could hit coal exports and slow investment in mining, industry participants say. Critics argue that Russian Railways (RZD) is effectively boosting profitability […]
Global coal prices moved lower over the past week as weakening demand, ample supply and diverging regional fundamentals weighed on market sentiment. Negative sentiment prevailed in the coal market: European indices declined; prices in China continued to adjust downward; in Australia, thermal coal moved in different directions, while metallurgical material strengthened. Over the past week, […]
In October 2025, Russian coal exports to South Korea kept dropping for the second month in a row, falling to 2.1 mio t (-0.8 mio t or -28% vs. September 2025). Nevertheless, the volume of supplies remained above 1.6 mio t, recorded in October 2024. Russian coal exports to South Korea in October 2025 declined […]
Russian coal exports by rail to China dropped sharply in November, marking their lowest monthly level since 2023. In January-November 2025, Russian railway coal exports to China via border crossings fell to 14.5 mio t (-2.5 mio t or -14.7% vs. Jan-Nov 2024). Shipments in November dropped to 1.0 mio t, hitting their lowest level […]
Global coal prices diverged: European indices strengthened; Chinese spot market softened; Australian quotations were split, with thermal coal falling and metallurgical material breaking through a key level. Over the past week, European thermal coal indices firmed to 97-98 USD/t. Quotations found support from the November contract closure, active trading on the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), and […]
China coal imports have fallen sharply in 2025, down around 52 mt year-to-date as stronger domestic production and rapid renewable expansion reduce seaborne demand . Weaker Chinese appetite for thermal coal has weighed on global tonne-miles for Capesize vessels, while Panamaxes remain supported by Indonesian flows. With domestic output slowing into winter, China may temporarily […]
In January-August 2025, net losses of Russian coal companies totaled 4 billion USD compared to losses of 1.2 billion USD in the same period a year earlier. Thus, losses for the first 9 months of 2025 exceeded almost 3 times overall losses in 2024, which totaled 1.44 billion USD. The share of loss-making companies also […]
Russian coal exports are undergoing a structural shift as Yakutia and Sakhalin play a growing role in overall supply. The total share of coal supplies from Yakutia and Sakhalin in Russian exports continues to steadily increase. In 2025, coal exports from Russia are forecasted to grow to 200 milo t (+5 mio t or +2.6% […]
Positive sentiment dominated global coal prices in the past week: prices in Europe firmed up; coal in China corrected downwards; in Australia, thermal material quotations moved in different directions, while metallurgical coal prices advanced. Over the past week, European thermal coal prices climbed to nearly 98 USD/t after falling a week earlier Quotations found support […]