In March 2025, China imported 7.33 million tonnes of coal from Russia, up 6% year-on-year. Reuters reports this with reference to data from the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China.
Despite the growing pressure of sanctions from the West, Russian coal continues to steadily enter the Chinese market, strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries amid geopolitical confrontation with the West.
Competitors are losing ground
Instead, coal imports from Indonesia, which is China’s largest coal supplier, fell by 9% to 17.96 million tonnes. The reason is the new price restrictions introduced by the Indonesian government on 1 March.
The country’s authorities have introduced a state reference price as the minimum price floor for export contracts, making Indonesian coal less competitive with Russian coal.
General trend: imports are declining
Despite an increase in supplies from Russia, total coal imports to China fell by 6% in March. Main reasons:
- high coal reserves in ports,
- weak domestic demand in industry,
- spot prices fell to their lowest level in four years.
China, as the world’s second largest importer of energy resources, is actively reorienting itself to suppliers less dependent on the US and EU sanctions policy. Against this background, Russia is strengthening its position in Asian markets, particularly in the energy sector.
