Russia dropped out of the top three thermal coal exporters, falling to fourth place. In the first nine months of 2026, its shipments fell 18.6 percent to 42.5 million tons, according to the Kommersant newspaper, citing data from analytics firm BigMint. Meanwhile, South Africa increased its exports by 8% to 52.1 million tons, taking third place. Indonesia remains the leading exporter, with 240.3 million tons, followed by Australia with 151.2 million tons. Russia's share of the world market dropped from 8.4% to 7.1%. The sharpest declines were recorded in shipments to Turkey, which fell by 32% to 15.7 million tons, and to China, which fell by 26% to 15.1 million tons. On the other hand, exports to India increased by 63% to 9.6 million tons. Analysts attribute the decline to weakening demand, competition from Mongolia and rising transportation costs. BigMints statistics do not cover all Russian coal exports. According to analysts at Kepler, marine shipments of Russian coal of all grades actually increased by 7.25% in the same period, reaching 135.86 million tons. The gap is due to differences in the calculation methodologies and the specific product categories included. Amidst these export challenges, the Russian coal industry is suffering significant losses. According to Rostat, losses from January to July 2026 amounted to 178.2 billion rubles (1.9 billion euros), with 64.5% of companies operating at a loss. In the Kuzbass region, 20 of 93 open-pit mines and operations were inactive as of August, while the industry workforce shrank from 103,000 to 97,300 over the year. According to a forecast by the Russian Energy Ministry, total losses in the coal industry may reach 300-310 billion rubles (3.3-3.4 billion euros) in 2026.

Russia dropped out of the top three thermal coal exporters, falling to fourth place. In the first nine months of 2026, its shipments fell 18.6 percent to 42.5 million tons, according to the Kommersant newspaper, citing data from analytics firm BigMint. Meanwhile, South Africa increased its exports by 8% to 52.1 million tons, taking third place. Indonesia remains the leading exporter, with 240.3 million tons, followed by Australia with 151.2 million tons. Russia's share of the world market dropped from 8.4% to 7.1%. The sharpest declines were recorded in shipments to Turkey, which fell by 32% to 15.7 million tons, and to China, which fell by 26% to 15.1 million tons. On the other hand, exports to India increased by 63% to 9.6 million tons. Analysts attribute the decline to weakening demand, competition from Mongolia and rising transportation costs. BigMints statistics do not cover all Russian coal exports. According to analysts at Kepler, marine shipments of Russian coal of all grades actually increased by 7.25% in the same period, reaching 135.86 million tons. The gap is due to differences in the calculation methodologies and the specific product categories included. Amidst these export challenges, the Russian coal industry is suffering significant losses. According to Rostat, losses from January to July 2026 amounted to 178.2 billion rubles (1.9 billion euros), with 64.5% of companies operating at a loss. In the Kuzbass region, 20 of 93 open-pit mines and operations were inactive as of August, while the industry workforce shrank from 103,000 to 97,300 over the year. According to a forecast by the Russian Energy Ministry, total losses in the coal industry may reach 300-310 billion rubles (3.3-3.4 billion euros) in 2026.