Key takeaways about India's coal import
- India imports coal from which countries? Australia leads India coal imports at US$1.17 billion (30.43% share) in Q1 2026, followed by Indonesia (19.72%), United States (15.27%), Russia (14.83%), and Italy (6.54%) per TradeInt's India Import Data and Bill of Lading database under HS 2701.
- Non-bituminous thermal coal (HS 270119) dominates the coal import by India mix across nearly every supplier, with metallurgical coking grades (HS 270112) and anthracite (HS 270111) playing specialised roles particularly in flows from the US and Russia.
- Imports running below 2025 pace, with coal imports in India percentage declining through early 2026, with January-February at US$3.86 billion combined, reflecting domestic production exceeding 1 billion tonnes per India Ministry of Coal and the government's 30% power sector import reduction target.
India imports coal from which countries? Q1/2026 data
India mainly imports coal from Australia, valued at US$1.17 billion (30.43% share), Indonesia at US$760.80 million (19.72%), and the United States at US$589.14 million (15.27%) in Q1 2026, according to TradeInt's India Import Data and Bill of Lading database under HS 2701.
On the other hand, Russia (US$572.40 million, 14.83%) and Italy (US$252.26 million, 6.54%) complete the top 5 list of countries from which India imports coal. Finally, South Africa, Mozambique, Canada, New Zealand, and Tanzania round out the top 10 partners for coal import by India across HS 2701.
Top 5 partner countries for India's coal import in Q1 2026:
- Australia - US$1.17 billion (30.43%): Holds the largest single-country share of India's coal value, anchored by metallurgical-grade shipments tied to blast furnace steelmaking demand.
- Indonesia - US$760.80 million (19.72%): Ranks first by volume at 23.61 MMT, serving as India's most cost-efficient seaborne supplier for coastal power utilities.
- United States - US$589.14 million (15.27%): Emerging as India's leading non-Australian metallurgical coal alternative, with shares rising sharply since FY2021.
- Russia - US$572.40 million (14.83%): Trades at structural discounts to Indonesian and Australian benchmarks, drawing growing demand from Indian private power buyers.
- Italy - US$252.26 million (6.54%): Operates as a transshipment and blending origin rather than a producer, with shipments commanding above-benchmark per-tonne pricing.
✔ India Import & Export Trade Data ✔ Coal Imports
⛏️ Access India Coal Import Records on TradeInt
India's coal import records under HS 2701 cover past transacted suppliers, importers, ports, and shipment value across the 10 partner countries supplying India's power and steel industries this quarter. Review available data fields, time ranges, and country coverage.
Explore more: Past HS 2701 India import trade records
Top 1 India coal imports by country: Australia at US$1.17 billion
As stated by TradeInt's customs records, Australia's coal exports to India are primarily thermal coal (HS 270119), valued at US$1.17 billion, with a small spot trade in bituminous coal (HS 270112) making up the rest of the top coal imports during Q1 2026.
Main India coal imports from Australia (Q1 2026):
- HS 270119 - Non-bituminous coal: US$1.17 billion (100.00%): Essential high-quality thermal coal supplementing India's industrial power grid demands.
- HS 270112 - Bituminous coal: 0.00% share: Inconsequential spot trade completely overshadowed by Australia's dominant non-bituminous exports.
According to the IEEFA briefing on India's steel energy security, roughly 90% of India's metallurgical coal needs come from imports, and Australia continues to supply nearly half of global seaborne met coal exports. That dominance means Australian supply shocks immediately ripple through global coking coal prices.
Here are some market highlights shaping India-Australia coal flows:
- Steel capacity expansion: India targets 300 MTPA crude steel capacity by 2030 per IEEFA, with 64% of upcoming capacity built around blast furnace technology dependent on Australian-grade coking coal.
- Long-term forecast: IEEFA projects India's met coal imports rising from about 94 MT in 2026 to 149 MT by 2035, reinforcing Australia's volume role even as diversification accelerates.
✔ India Import & Export Trade Data ✔ Coal Exports
Highest Coal Exporting Countries, Powered By TradeInt's Insights
From TradeInt’s global coal trade database, the world’s top five coal-producing countries with the strongest export capacity are Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Russia, Colombia, and Mongolia. This article analyzes in-depth each country's coal exporting performance & coal trade highlights.
Read more: Top 5 Coal Exporting Countries with Highest Trade Value 2025
Top 2 India coal imports by country: Indonesia at US$760.80 million
Across Q1 2026, Indonesia shipped India almost entirely non-bituminous thermal coal (HS 270119), valued at US$760.8 million, trade data insights drawn from TradeInt's shipment database. Indonesian flow runs at the highest volume of any single origin at 23.61 MMT, anchoring India's primary thermal coal supply.
India is actively reducing thermal coal imports. Reuters reporting from February 2026 confirms India targets a 30% cut in power sector coal imports during 2026, with Coal India Ltd's domestic production displacing seaborne thermal coal at most plants.
Three points worth noting about the India-Indonesia coal channel:
- Pricing role: Indonesian thermal coal trades at lower per-tonne pricing than Australian coking grades, which is why Indonesia leads on volume but trails on value among India's top suppliers.
- Power sector import substitution: India aims to replace at least 20% of imported coal with domestic supply at most plants, and up to 30% at some, directly pressuring Indonesia's exports to India.
- Coastal plant exposure: About 17 GW of Indian power generation capacity was built specifically for imported coal, creating technical constraints that delay full substitution and protect Indonesian flows in the near term.
✔ Lite ✔ Pro ✔ Premium ✔ Enterprise
🇮🇩 Indonesia Exports to India Analysis by TradeInt
Coal led Indonesia's top exports to India, followed by palm oil, stainless steel, copper ore, and jewelry. Powered by TradeInt's trade data, this article analyzes each top sector of Indonesia's exports to India in 2025.
Read more: Indonesia Export to India - Top 5 Traded Products
Top 3 India coal imports by country: United States at US$589.14 million
US coal exports to India in Q1 2026 led with thermal coal (HS 270119) at US$569.05 million (96.59%), followed by bituminous metallurgical coal (HS 270112) at US$20.10 million (3.41%), as captured in TradeInt's global import dataset.
Main India coal imports from the United States (Q1 2026):
- HS 270119 - Non-bituminous thermal coal: US$569.05 million (96.59%): Captures the bulk of US-origin shipments, with cargoes typically loaded out of Appalachian and Powder River basin terminals.
- HS 270112 - Bituminous metallurgical coal: US$20.10 million (3.41%): Smaller but strategically important share, supplying Indian steelmakers exploring alternatives to Australian sources.
In the IEEFA's analysis, the US share of India's met coal imports has risen from around 8% in FY2021 to roughly 15% in 2025, positioning the country as the leading diversification origin against Australian dominance.
However, the same briefing warns that US supply offers only limited relief against price shocks. This creates:
- Technical constraints: Indian steelmakers increasingly use stamp-charging technology optimised for blends of domestic and Australian coal, limiting the suitability of US-origin coal in many plants without recalibration.
- Freight cost gap: Longer shipping distances from US ports add a structural cost layer that narrows the price advantage Indian buyers expect from diversification away from Australian supply.
- Forecast trajectory: S&P Global cited by IEEFA projects India's met coal imports rising from about 94 MT in 2026 to 149 MT by 2035, expanding the absolute volume of US flows even as Australian shares remain structural.
✔ Lite ✔ Pro ✔ Premium ✔ Enterprise
🇮🇳 Trade Data Summary of India's Multi-Sector Trade Movement
India is the world's fifth-largest economy and a major goods exporter.
From coking coal flows for steel mills to thermal coal shipments for coastal power plants, TradeInt's India trade summary consists of shipment records by HS code, origin country, port, and Bill of Lading detail across multiple entry points.
Access now: India import & export trade overview & statistics
Top 4 India coal imports by country: Russia at US$572.4 million
TradeInt's Q1 2026 records show Russia ships India a more diversified coal mix than other top suppliers, with non-bituminous thermal coal (HS 270119) leading at US$524.80 million (91.68%), anthracite (HS 270111) at US$29.36 million (5.13%), and bituminous coal (HS 270112) at US$18.25 million (3.19%).
Main India coal imports from Russia (Q1 2026):
- HS 270119 - Non-bituminous thermal coal: US$524.80 million (91.68%): Anchors Russian exports to India and trades at discounted pricing vs Indonesian and Australian alternatives.
- HS 270111 - Anthracite: US$29.36 million (5.13%): Rare commercial-scale anthracite flow into India, with few other origins supplying this grade.
- HS 270112 - Bituminous coal: US$18.25 million (3.19%): Supports Russia's role as a third coking coal source after Australia and the US.
Russian coal trades at structural discounts to Indonesian and Australian alternatives, which has supported Russia's growing share in Indian private power utility procurement over the past three years.
Patterns shaping India-Russia coal flows:
- Discounted pricing role: Russian coal undercuts Indonesian and Australian price points, attracting cost-sensitive private power utility buyers across India.
- Anthracite niche: Russian anthracite flows serve ferro-alloy producers, foundries, and ultra-high-temperature processing applications where ordinary grades fall short.
- Coking coal upside: Argus expects India's coking coal import demand to rise in 2026, opening room for Russia to capture incremental volume alongside Australia and the US.
✔ Lite ✔ Pro ✔ Premium ✔ Enterprise
🇷🇺 Track Russia-India Coal Trade Movement on TradeInt
Russia has scaled into a multi-grade coal supplier across thermal, bituminous, and anthracite categories destined for Indian buyers. TradeInt's Russia customs and shipment data covers every supplier and corridor.
Access Russia customs and shipment statistics overview
Top 5 India coal imports by country: Italy - US$252.26 million
Italy supplies India predominantly with non-bituminous thermal coal (HS 270119) at US$246.59 million (97.75%), as captured in TradeInt's India customs database, with bituminous coal (HS 270112) contributing US$5.66 million (2.25%) through Q1 2026.
Main India coal imports from Italy (Q1 2026):
- HS 270119 - Non-bituminous thermal coal: US$246.59 million (97.75%): Dominates Italian flows to India, typical of port-routed cargoes rather than direct mine-origin trade.
- HS 270112 - Bituminous coal: US$5.66 million (2.25%): Limited share suggesting blended cargo arrangements through European trading desks.
Italy - India coal flows most likely represent processed coal blends, transshipped cargoes from other origins, or coal redirected from European industrial supply chains to Indian buyers.
Worth highlighting India-Italy coal trade:
- Transshipment profile: Italy's supplier role likely reflects port-to-port redistribution of cargoes originally produced in other countries, rather than Italian domestic output.
- Specialised industrial buyers: Italian flows indicate India's industrial buyers source niche grades not easily available through standard supplier channels, supporting specialty manufacturing applications.
- Premium pricing: Italian shipments trade above commodity thermal benchmarks, suggesting blending or processing value added before reaching Indian buyers.
India coal import trends analysis (Q1/2025 - Q1/2026)
How much coal does India import in Q1/2026?
India imported approximately US$3.86 billion worth of coal in January and February 2026, covering January (US$2.02 billion) and February (US$1.84 billion) shipments under HS 2701, as analyzed by TradeInt's market monitor. Across full-year 2025, India's coal imports totalled US$24.31 billion, declining roughly 8% year-over-year as domestic production crossed 1 billion tonnes per the India Ministry of Coal.
The QoQ pattern through 2025-2026 reflects three structural shifts working at the same time. First, India's Ministry of Coal data shows domestic coal production crossed 1 billion tonnes in FY2026 for the second consecutive year, easing dependence on imported supply.
Second, the government actively targets a 30% cut in power sector coal imports during 2026, per Reuters, with thermal coal imports for power plant blending falling from approximately 35 MT in 2022-23 to about 14 MT in 2024-25, a 54% reduction tracked by The Coal Hub's March 2026 monthly report.
Third, global thermal coal prices and freight rates have softened from 2022-2023 peaks, lowering the per-tonne import coal price in India even as physical volumes adjust slowly through long-term contracts and committed deliveries. The coal imports in India, as a percentage of total energy supply, have been declining steadily as domestic production scales up.
Conclusion
India imports coal from which countries?
The top 5 coal exporting partners in India include Australia (US$1.17B, 30.43%), Indonesia (US$760.80M, 19.72%), and the United States (US$589.14M, 15.27%). Russia (US$572.40M, 14.83%) and Italy (US$252.26M, 6.54%).
Underneath these flows, India's domestic production crossed 1 billion tonnes in FY2026, while 90% met coal import dependency and 64% of new steel capacity built on blast furnace technology locked in structural import demand through 2035, when met coal imports are projected to reach 149 MT.
Discover deeper country-level data coverage on TradeInt.
Frequently asked questions
Which countries does India import coal from?
India imports coal from 10 partner countries in Q1 2026, with the top 5 being Australia (US$1.17 billion, 30.43%), Indonesia (US$760.80 million, 19.72%), the United States (US$589.14 million, 15.27%), Russia (US$572.40 million, 14.83%), and Italy (US$252.26 million, 6.54%). South Africa, Mozambique, Canada, New Zealand, and Tanzania round out the top 10 partners under HS 2701.
Why does India import so much coal?
India imports coal mainly because approximately 90% of its metallurgical (coking) coal needs come from imports, according to IEEFA, and Indian steelmakers run blast furnace operations requiring imported coking grades that domestic production cannot match at current quality levels.
Does India import coal from other countries?
Yes, India imports coal from at least 10 international partners under HS 2701 in Q1 2026, spanning Oceania (Australia, New Zealand), Asia (Indonesia), North America (United States, Canada), Europe (Italy, Russia), and Africa (South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania).
Where does most of India's coal come from?
Most of India's coal comes from Australia, leading at US$1.17 billion (30.43% share) in Q1 2026 by value, while Indonesia leads at 23.61 MMT by volume, according to TradeInt's India import data.
Which country is the largest exporter of coal to India?
Australia is the largest exporter of coal to India in Q1 2026, valued at US$1.17 billion (30.43% share), driven by premium coking coal shipments for India's blast furnace steel sector, based on TradeInt's coal import data. Australia continues to supply nearly half of global seaborne metallurgical coal exports, anchoring its structural position as India's primary supplier.
