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 previous years are final. All data for 2018 are preliminary.
Highlights for third-quarter 2018
- U.S. coal production during third–quarter 2018 totaled 194.7 million short tons, which was 7.7% higher than the previous quarter and 0.9% lower than third–quarter 2017. Production in the Western Region, which represented about 57.0% of total U.S. coal production in third–quarter 2018, totaled about 111 million short tons (3.4% lower than third-quarter 2017).
- Third-quarter 2018 U.S. coal exports (29.1 million short tons) decreased 5.9% from second-quarter 2018. The average price of U.S. coal exports during third-quarter 2018 was $99.30 per short ton.
- The United States continued to import coal primarily from Colombia (58.4%), Canada (17.8%), and Indonesia (17.8%). No imports were recorded from Australia for third-quarter 2018. U.S. coal imports in third-quarter 2018 totaled 1.4 million short tons. The average price of U.S. coal imports during third-quarter 2018 was $91.02 per short ton.
- Steam coal exports totaled 14.5 million short tons (4.4% higher than second-quarter 2018). Metallurgical coal exports totaled 14.5 million short tons (14.3% lower than second-quarter 2018).
- U.S. coal consumption totaled 194.1 million short tons in third-quarter 2018, which was 23.9% higher than the 15.6 million short tons reported in second-quarter 2018 and 4.6% lower than the 203.5 million short tons reported in third-quarter 2017. The electric power sector accounted for about 93.6% of the total U.S. coal consumption in third-quarter 2018.
- Third-quarter 2018 coal stocks decreased to 129.2 million short tons from 150.7 million short tons at the end of second-quarter 2018 (14.3% decrease). Stocks in the electric power sector decreased to 100.7 million short tons from 121.4 million short tons at the end of second-quarter 2018, the seventh consecutive decrease since the end of fourth-quarter 2016.