China Q1 2025 Meeting Coal Imports Rise 2% Yoy, Canadian Coal Jumped 62%
China imported 27.4 million MT metallurgical coal in the first quarter of 2025, an increase of 2% from year to year from 26.9 million MT in Q1 2024, according to the latest data from the general administration of China Customs. The total increase in total imports is supported by strong growth from Canada and the US, offering the sharp decline of Mongolia.
Canada emerged as a prominent supplier, with Q1 exports to China soaring 62% from year to year to 2.9 million MT, making it the third largest supplier after Mongolia and Russia. In March alone, Canadian coal imports increased 90% from year to year, although they declined 29% from February.
Because US coal can no longer reach China after the imposition of reciprocal duty in February, and the price of Australian coal is a barrier for most Chinese buyers, especially in March, Canada coal, which is often transported on ships capsiazue, continues to be offered to the Chinese market at a relatively competitive price, according to some sources of Chinese traders.
US coal also marked an increase of 44% year-to-year to 2.8 million MT during January-March. However, in March alone, the volume shrank to only 207,703 MT because of the substantial import duties worn.
Russia remains the main supplier, shipping around 8.1 million MT in Q1 2025, up 21% from year to year. In March, imports reached 2.8 million MT, an increase of 8% from February. However, because prices in the Chinese market continue to softens in April, several Russian miners have reportedly reduced production and supply to China due to losses.
Data does not solve metallurgical coal based on the type of coals hard or lower-handed, including crushed coal injection. Most of the imports of Russia are understood as semi-hard and semi-lut-of-lut-of-lug and PCI coal coal.
Meanwhile, Australia’s volume also posted a two -digit growth, up 15% from year to year to 1.9 million MT in Q1, while the March inflows fell 70% from February to 163,263 MT.
Some final Chinese users who previously rely on US coal were forced to diversify their supply sources after the imposition of tariffs in US coal, with Australian coal became one of the choices. However, because the price of Australian FOB continues to rise and separate from the Chinese market, fewer Australian coal offers are made to China, according to final user sources based in South China.
Platts, part of the S&P Global Commodity Insights, are considered premium Low Vol Hard Coal at $ 171.5/MT CFR China on April 21, down from $ 177/MT in early March. In comparison, Hard Coke Coal Vol Premium Vol was rated at $ 187.6/MT FOB Australia on April 21, up from $ 185.5/MT in early March.
Conversely, Mongolian coal entry flow – the largest volume – down 20% from year to year to 10.9 million MT in Q1 because the price is not competitive to Chinese domestic coal. However, with the price of Mongolian coal down in March, March’s shipment from Mongolia increased by 40% from February, with a total of 4.4 million MT.
Source: Platts
