Australia saw a 2.4% y/y increase in coking coal exports in 1H2026

Between January and June 2026, Australia increased its coking coal exports by 2.4% y/y – to 74.1 million tonnes, according to BigMint.

In June, the figure reached 15.06 million tonnes, which was 14% higher than the previous month, but 3% lower year-on-year. The recovery in June compared with May was driven by increased purchases from key Asian steel-producing countries, improved cargo availability and the resumption of normal port operations following previous disruptions to shipments.

China proved to be the key driver of growth in Australian coking coal exports in June — shipments to that country rose by 99% compared with May, to 2.93 million tonnes. This trend was driven by increased procurement against a backdrop of domestic supply constraints, improved demand from steel producers and competitive prices for Australian shipments.

Meanwhile, India imported 1.47 million tonnes of coking coal from Australia in June, down 52% month-on-month. The main factors were higher prices for imported coking coal, comfortable raw material stocks at the country’s steelworks, a fall in domestic steel prices and cautious purchasing.

BigMint expects Australian coking coal exports to continue to be supported by robust demand from China, steady purchases from Japan and improved export logistics. However, weak fundamentals in the steel market and cautious purchasing by Indian and South Korean steel producers may continue to limit demand for seaborne shipments.

It should be noted that global coking coal prices rose in June, although this momentum was lost by the end of the month, despite high prices on the Chinese market.