In the January-June period this year, China’s metallurgical coke exports amounted to 4.01 million mt, increasing by 14.4 percent year on year, as announced by the Chinese customs authorities.
In June alone, China’s metallurgical coke exports totaled 770,000 mt, up 51.4 percent year on year.
In the January-June period this year, China’s coal exports totaled 2.76 million mt, down 17.1 percent year on year. In June alone, China’s coal exports amounted to 610,000 mt, down 21.5 percent year on year.
In the given period, the primary growth driver of global coke demand lay in emerging economies, including India and Southeast Asia, where ongoing steel capacity expansion has steadily fueled demand for coke. Meanwhile, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have driven up seaborne coal costs, pushing overseas coke prices higher and opening up a profitable window for China's coke exports.
It is expected that China’s coke exports will remain at relatively high levels, though with slower growth, with annual coke exports likely to exceed 8.0 million mt in 2026.
