GACC: China's coal exports reach one-year high in July

The July volume was higher by 26% from June, but lower by 1.6% from 787,132 tonnes recorded in July 2025, Mysteel Global calculated.

By coal type, thermal coal (including bituminous coal grades and lignite coal) totaled 446,604 tonnes, up 30% on month and 14% on year. Coking coal reached 86,504 tonnes, surging more than fivefold from June but down 33% on year. The remaining 241,736 tonnes were anthracite, down 6% on month and 9.7% on year, according to the GACC data.

Japan, Indonesia, South Korea remained the major markets for China's seaborne coal exports, accounting for over 90% of the July total.

According to GACC breakdown data, shipments to Japan reached 324,212 tonnes, down 7.2% on month but up 4% on year, while exports to Indonesia stood at 255,622 tonnes, up 51% on month and 1.2% on year. Most South Korea-bound Chinese coal was thermal coal, with the total reaching 159,627 tonnes, surging over sixfold on month and up 45% on year.

Over January-July, China's exports of coal for all uses totalled 3.53 million tonnes, down 14% from the same period of last year.

Over the same seven months, the country's exports of coke for all uses totalled 4.44 million tonnes, up slightly by 1% from the previous year. Coke exports for July alone totaled 430,283 tonnes, down 44% on month and 52% on year, according to the GACC data.

Written by Adrian Zhou, zhouwenhaoa@mysteel.com

Edited by Russ McCulloch, russ.mcculloch@mysteel.com