Russia Slides to Fourth as Thermal Coal Shipments Contract 18.6%
The country ceded the position to South Africa while its mining companies accumulated losses of RUB 178.2 billion in the first seven months of 2026.
By Layla Richardson ·
Russia's thermal coal exports fell to 42.5 million tonnes between January and September 2026, down 18.6% from a year earlier, according to data from analytical company BigMint cited by The Insider. Deliveries dropped by 9.7 million tonnes over the same period.
South Africa moved ahead of Russia in the rankings by shipping 52.1 million tonnes, an 8% increase. Indonesia held first place with 240.3 million tonnes despite a 10% decline, and Australia remained second at 151.2 million tonnes after a 2% rise. Mongolia posted the largest growth among suppliers, sending 24 million tonnes, up 73%.
Russian shipments to Turkey fell 32% to 15.7 million tonnes and shipments to China dropped 26% to 15.1 million tonnes. Demand from China has been held back by coal stockpiles at storage facilities, and Turkish power plants have cut consumption. India was the only market to expand, taking 9.6 million tonnes, up 63%, a figure that already exceeds the volume shipped there during all of 2025. The Insider attributes that increase to substantial discounts offered by Russian sellers.
Russia's share of global thermal coal trade slipped from 8.4% to 7.1%. World trade in the fuel declined 3.2% to 602.5 million tonnes, a drop of about 19.9 million tonnes, and Russia's reduction of 9.7 million tonnes accounts for roughly half of that contraction. Rising railway transport costs, freight charges and vessel insurance are adding to the pressure on exporters.
Financial results have followed the sales losses. The Russian Federal State Statistics Service reported cumulative losses of RUB 178.2 billion, about US$2.2 billion, for coal mining companies from January through July 2026, with 64.5% of firms operating at a loss. In Kuzbass, the country's largest coal region, 20 of 93 mines and open pits stood idle in August 2026. Coal sector employment declined from 103,000 to 97,300 over the year. The Russian Ministry of Energy projects industry losses of RUB 300-310 billion for 2026, or about US$3.8 billion.
BigMint figures do not cover all Russian coal exports. Kpler, a global analytics platform, recorded seaborne shipments of Russian coal of all grades at 135.86 million tonnes over the same nine months, a 7.25% increase. The Insider notes the gap reflects differences in calculation methods and in the product categories counted.
