US Coal Exports Drop 11% — Tariffs & Lower Demand Top Reasons – CleanTechnica

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Many people concerned about the climate crisis and pollution will be happy to hear that US coal exports dropped 11% in the first half of 2025. Proponents of sticking with fossil fuels despite the climate and pollution problems may be surprised to find out that much of the reason for the drop was Donald Trump’s policies as US president. However, can one really be that surprised these days?…

No, Trump hasn’t flipped his script and gone pro-clean energy. However, his insistence on being combative with every country on Earth has led to rising costs for all kinds of products, and that includes coal exported to China, historically a major customer of the US. Here’s how the US Energy Information Administration explains the decline in coal exports:

• According to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau in September, the United States exported 46.8 million short tons (MMst) of coal in the first half of 2025 (1H25), an 11% decline from 1H24.
• Steam coal exports totaled 22.5 MMst, a 10% decline from 1H24. Metallurgical coal exports totaled 24.2 MMst, a 13% decline from 1H24.
• Reduced coal exports to China (4.4 MMst) accounted for 73% of the decline in total U.S. net coal exports. China accounted for 76% of the decline in metallurgical coal exports and 68% of the decline in steam coal exports.
• U.S. exports to China decreased after China imposed a 15% additional tariff on imports of U.S. coal in February and a 34% reciprocal tariff on imports from the United States in April.
• The reduction in total exports also reflects a global market characterized by declining coal prices caused by ample supply and soft demand. Meanwhile, coal consumption in the U.S. electric power sector has risen due to more demand and higher natural gas prices.

So, Trump’s tariff games were one core cause of the drop in exports, but so also was weakening demand for coal abroad. Of course, the majority of new power capacity added globally (including in the US) in recent years has been from renewable energy sources. Naturally, that’s going to lead for less demand for coal over time. Michael Barnard wrote the following 7 months ago:

“China’s coal-fired electricity generation took an unexpectedly sharp turn downward in the first quarter of 2025, signaling a potentially profound shift in the world’s largest coal-consuming economy. This wasn’t merely a seasonal dip or economic distress signal; rather, it represented a clear and structural turning point. Coal generation fell by approximately 4.7% year over year, significantly outpacing the overall grid electricity supply decline of just 1.3%. However, electricity demand, a better measure, went up by 1%. What gives?”

Demand for coal is decreasing, and politicians like Donald Trump who want to turn back the clock 50–60 years to re-live their 20s and 30s while helping out their fossil-fueled billionaire buddies are simply not going to change that. It’s old technology that is more expensive and also causes cancer, asthma, heart disease, stroke, premature death, and global heating. It’s just not smart to keep burning it, so the world will move on.

Naturally, the graph above doesn’t show a total cliff dive. And we’re still well above 2020 levels. However, let’s see where things are in 3–5 years, if not next year. I’m expecting we will not return to 2024 levels and the trend downward will continue.