The Quarterly Coal Report (QCR) provides detailed quarterly data on U.S. coal production, exports, imports, receipts, prices, consumption, quality, stocks, and refined coal. Data on U.S. coke production, consumption, stocks, imports, and exports are also provided. All data for 2017 and prior years are final. All data for 2018 are preliminary.
Highlights for second–quarter 2018:
- U.S. coal production during second–quarter 2018 totaled 180.8 million short tons, which was 3.7% lower than the previous quarter and 3.4% lower than second–quarter 2017. Production in the Western Region, which represented about 52.3% of total U.S. coal production in second–quarter 2018, totaled about 94.6 million short tons (5.5% lower than second–quarter 2017).
- Second–quarter 2018 U.S. coal exports (30.9 million short tons) increased 13.4% from first–quarter 2018. The average price of U.S. coal exports during second–quarter 2018 was $103.26 per short ton.
- The United States continued to import coal primarily from Colombia (68.4%), Canada (13.6%), and Indonesia (17.2%). No imports were recorded from Australia for second–quarter 2018. U.S. coal imports in second–quarter 2018 totaled 1.5 million short tons. The average price of U.S. coal imports during second–quarter 2018 was $82.95 per short ton.
- Steam coal exports totaled 13.9 million short tons (12.8% higher than first–quarter 2018). Metallurgical coal exports totaled 16.9 million short tons (13.9% higher than first–quarter 2018).
- U.S. coal consumption totaled 156.9 million short tons in second-quarter 2018, which was 6.4% lower than the 167.7 million short tons reported in first–quarter 2018 and 6% lower than the 166.9 million short tons reported in second–quarter 2017. The electric power sector accounted for about 92.1% of the total U.S. coal consumption in second–quarter 2018.
- Second–quarter 2018 coal stocks dropped to 147.9 million short tons from 155 million short tons at the end of first–quarter 2018 (4.6% decrease). Stocks in the electric power sector decreased to 121.5 million short tons from 126.4 million short tons at the end of first–quarter 2018, the sixth consecutive decrease since the end of fourth–quarter 2016.