Asian thermal coal trade stalls as weaker buying meets firm miner offers
Asian thermal coal trading was close to a standstill as softer buying interest met producers' reluctance to cut price targets. Indian utility stocks stood at 20.25 million metric tons on Oct. 27, just over six days of consumption.
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Brent December futures rise 1.5% to $115.90/bbl as EU carbon climbs to €89/t
December Brent crude gained 1.5% to $115.90/bbl, while carbon emissions allowances advanced 70 cents to €89/t.
Turkey's August coal imports fall 10.9% as thermal drops and coking coal surges
Turkey imported 3.14 million tonnes of coal in August, down 10.9% year on year. A 20.4% fall in thermal coal outweighed an 81.5% rise in coking coal.
Australia's Q3 met coal exports hit five-year high at 40.2 million tonnes as diesel costs weigh
Australia shipped 40.2 million tonnes of metallurgical coal in the September quarter, the highest for that period since 2021, S&P Global data show. Producers flagged higher diesel costs as a headwind.
Thailand's September coal imports fall 30.6% on year, but nine-month total is up 9.7%
Thailand imported 940,086 tonnes of coal in September 2026, down 30.6% year on year, according to customs data. January-September imports still rose 9.7% to 15.29 million tonnes.
World coke trade edges up in Q3 as Chinese exports fall; Indonesian drought clouds outlook
Resource-Net estimates world coke trade at 7.8 million tonnes in Q3 2026, up from 7.6 million in each of the first two quarters. China shipped less, and drought on Sulawesi threatens Indonesian supply.
Kyrgyzstan's coal exports reach 1.36 mln t in Jan-Aug as imports fall; household price caps start
Kyrgyzstan exported about 1.36 million tonnes of coal in January-August 2026 while imports fell 53.8% year on year. A 90-day state price regulation for household coal sales began on 22 October.
Asia-Pacific coal prices correct as China demand slips for third month; outlook turns neutral-negative
High-CV coal prices in Asia-Pacific are correcting lower and mid/low-CV grades are softening, with Chinese demand down three months in a row. Expected downward moves are now showing in the market, and the outlook has shifted to neutral/negative.
Taiwan’s power output posts its steepest fall on record, and coal takes the biggest hit
Taiwan generated 21.7 TWh of electricity in September, 11.5% less than a year earlier — the largest year-on-year drop since the data series began in January 2016. Coal-fired plants bore the brunt.
Colombian coal exports climb to their highest since March 2024 as buyers look for alternatives
Colombia shipped 4.8 million tonnes of thermal coal in September, the most since March 2024, as buyers in Europe, the Mediterranean and Asia turned to its competitively priced coal while other suppliers struggled.
China’s coal import window stays wide open, led by Russian coal
Imported coal is still cheaper than domestic supply in southern China. Russian coal leads with an advantage of $20.50 a tonne, followed by Indonesian and Australian coal, while China’s largest power plants are burning 8% more coal than a year ago.
Moroccan utilities keep buying coal near market highs, at about $160 a tonne
Morocco’s state utility ONEE has awarded two spot coal tenders at slightly more than $160 a tonne delivered, a level not seen for some time, while European coal prices moved against rising gas and power prices.
South Korea’s KOWEPO seeks 3.8 million tonnes of coal in two long-term tenders
Korea Western Power (KOWEPO), one of South Korea’s state-owned generators, is in the market with two long-term tenders for a combined 3.78 million tonnes of thermal coal, for delivery from December 2026 to December 2030.
Coal prices hold steady in Asia while the Atlantic waits for gas to turn
The Asia-Pacific coal market consolidated on 26 October, with Australian Newcastle 6,000 kcal coal unchanged at $150.50 a tonne. In Europe, coal moved against rising gas and power, and dry-bulk freight eased.
Coking coal prices: benchmarks steady, PCI and India grades edge up
Platts assessed premium low-vol hard coking coal at $266.70 a tonne FOB Australia and $288.70 a tonne CFR China on 26 October, both unchanged from the previous assessment.
Methane blast at a private coal mine in northern Türkiye kills three
Three miners were killed and five injured when a firedamp explosion tore through a private coal mine in Zonguldak province on Friday, 23 October.
Coal demand may rise again in 2026
The International Energy Agency now expects global coal demand to rise by 1.2% in 2026, to about 8.94 billion tonnes — reversing its earlier forecast of a decline.
Europe says gas supply is stable, despite lower storage
The European Commission and EU countries reconfirmed in late September that gas supply across the bloc was stable, even though storage levels were below historical norms.
Oil use is forecast to fall this year
The International Energy Agency expects world oil demand to fall by 2.6 million barrels a day in 2026, to 102.4 million barrels a day, as high prices and a weaker economic outlook weigh on consumption.
More coal use does not always mean more coal ships
Global coal demand is expected to rise in 2026, yet seaborne trade in thermal coal is set to slip, from about 1,074 to about 1,062 million tonnes, according to the IEA.
Stories are written by Megawise from dated reports and assessments. Photographs illustrate sectors, not the events described. Forecasts are labelled as forecasts.
The story behind the numbers
Plain-English background briefs on global coal, gas and oil demand in 2025.