This will have an impact on the coal market. Producers are monitoring the trend.

• China's increased imports of thermal coal by sea helped fuel prices recover.
• September imports amounted to approximately 914,000 tonnes per day.
• According to data from consulting firm Kpler, China – the world's largest producer and importer of coal – is expected to import 27.41 million tonnes of thermal coal transported by sea in September 2025.

As Reuters points out, this would mean an extension of the high imports from August, when 28.68 million tonnes arrived in the country, the highest since December 2024.

Chinese companies have turned to imports

September imports totaled about 914,000 tonnes per day, slightly down from 925,000 tonnes in August, although the final figure for September could be revised upwards as more cargoes are likely to be unloaded before the end of the month.

Chinese companies have turned to imports as domestic coal production has declined slightly due to increased safety inspections at mines. Production in August fell 3% compared with the same month in 2024.

China produced 390.5 million tons of coal in August, down from a year earlier. Thermal energy production, which comes primarily from coal with a small share of natural gas, reached 627.4 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in August, a 2% increase from a year earlier.

As Reuters points out, the increase in coal-fired energy production was also fueled by a decline in hydroelectric power generation, which fell by 10 percent in August compared to the previous year due to drought in some parts of the country.

The increase in demand for coal from utility companies has contributed to the increase in prices of the most popular types of thermal coal transported by sea in recent weeks.

The question remains, however, whether China's growing demand for imported coal will continue. Much will depend on whether authorities continue to curtail domestic production through safety inspections targeting mines that have been producing beyond approved plans.

China is also expanding its renewable energy sources . It added 212 gigawatts of new solar capacity in the first half of 2025, more than double the amount added in 2024.

China is not the only one who influences the situation on the global coal market

Furthermore, China is forecast to add a record 140 GW of new wind power capacity in 2025, representing a 77% increase compared to 2024.

India also has an impact on the coal market. It is the world's second-largest importer of this commodity. The country expects deliveries of 15.08 million tons of thermal coal in September, compared to 11.04 million tons in August.