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Where does China get its coal? Import sources 2024

In 2024, China imported $39.7 billion of coal (375.2 million tonnes), 22.4% of the world total. Its main sources were Russia (26%), Australia (23%) and Mongolia (21%). China was the world’s largest importer of coal.

Summary

Value
$39.7billion
Tonnes
375.2million tonnes
Share of world total
22.4%
World rank
1st
Routes from the main sources. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Sources

The 20 main sources in the latest year.

PartnerValue (USD billions)TonnesUSD per tonneShareMode
Russia10.5Tonnes: 88,333,915USD per tonne: $11926.4%Sea
Australia9.1Tonnes: 83,823,125USD per tonne: $10822.8%Sea
Mongolia8.3Tonnes: 78,774,261USD per tonne: $10520.8%Land
Indonesia6.3Tonnes: 82,743,248USD per tonne: $7716%Sea
Canada2Tonnes: 9,528,573USD per tonne: $2125.1%Sea
United States1.9Tonnes: 12,092,407USD per tonne: $1544.7%Sea
Colombia0.59Tonnes: 7,003,815USD per tonne: $841.5%Sea
Philippines0.46Tonnes: 8,171,070USD per tonne: $561.2%Sea
Mozambique0.35Tonnes: 2,072,275USD per tonne: $1710.89%Sea
South Africa0.06Tonnes: 549,921USD per tonne: $1130.16%Sea
New Zealand0.05Tonnes: 401,260USD per tonne: $1290.13%Sea
Kazakhstan0.03Tonnes: 537,482USD per tonne: $480.06%Land
Malaysia0.02Tonnes: 339,734USD per tonne: $690.06%Sea
Spain0.02Tonnes: 88,596USD per tonne: $2390.05%Sea
Vietnam0.02Tonnes: 63,700USD per tonne: $2760.04%Sea
Tanzania0.02Tonnes: 170,380USD per tonne: $960.04%Sea
Ukraine0.01Tonnes: 50,927USD per tonne: $2460.03%Sea
Laos0.01Tonnes: 97,637USD per tonne: $960.02%Land
Netherlands re-exports0.01Tonnes: 86,775USD per tonne: $820.02%Sea
Kyrgyzstan0.01Tonnes: 121,505USD per tonne: $430.01%Land

Trend

Who it buys from

Russia has been its main source since 2022

Value in USD billions. The five largest sources in 2024.

  • Russia 10.5
  • Australia 9.1
  • Mongolia 8.3
  • Indonesia 6.3
  • Canada 2

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
Russia0.0110.5
Australia0.049.1
Mongolia< 0.018.3
Indonesia0.016.3
Canada02

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), which reconciles what exporters and importers report: countries that stopped reporting (Russia since 2022) appear with their partners’ data. FOB values in current US dollars; tonnes when BACI reports them. The price per tonne is the value of the rows with a weight divided by that weight. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Data up to 2024.

Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands and Belgium re-export goods from other countries: their figures include transit.

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