The Quarterly Coal Report (QCR) provides detailed quarterly data on U.S. coal production, exports, imports, receipts, prices, consumption, quality, stocks, and refined coal. Data on U.S. coke production, consumption, stocks, imports, and exports are also provided. All data for 2015 and prior years are final. All data for 2016 and 2017 are preliminary.

Highlights for second quarter 2017:

• U.S. coal production during second quarter 2017 totaled 187.1 million short tons. This was 5.1% lower than the previous quarter and 16.6% higher than second quarter 2016. Production in the Western Region, which represented about 53.1% of total U.S. coal production in second quarter 2017, totaled about 99.4 million short tons (19.7% higher than second quarter 2016).

• Second quarter 2017 U.S. coal exports (21.8 million short tons) decreased 2.3% from first quarter 2017. The average price of U.S. coal exports during the second quarter 2017 was $110.65 per short ton.


• The United States continued to import coal primarily from Colombia (81.5%), Canada (9.4%), and Indonesia (9.1%). Imports from Australia totaled 0.7 million short tons. U.S. coal imports in second quarter 2017 totaled 2.2 million short tons. The average price of U.S. coal imports during the second quarter 2017 was $79.44 per short ton.


• Steam coal exports totaled 8.3 million short tons (17.7% lower than first quarter 2017; metallurgical coal exports totaled 13.5 million short tons (10.5% higher than first quarter 2017).

• U.S. coal consumption totaled 167.2 million short tons in second quarter 2017; this was 3.7% lower than the 173.6 million short tons reported in first quarter 2017 and 4.5% higher than the 160 million short tons reported in second quarter 2016. The electric power sector consumed about 92.4% of the total U.S. coal consumption in second quarter 2017.


• Second quarter 2017 coal stocks shrunk to 200 million short tons from 203.6 million short tons at the end of first quarter 2017 (1.7% decrease). Stocks in the electric power sector decreased to 160.5 million short tons from 163.9 million short tons at the end of first quarter 2017, the second decrease since the end of fourth quarter 2016.