🇬🇧 United Kingdom imports of coal: 2024 trade data
Imports of coal by the United Kingdom reached $243.0 million in 2024 (1.65 million tonnes). Value fell 59% from 2023. Over 2017-2024 it shrank by about 24% a year on average. The peak in this period was 2022, at $1.81 billion.
Public statistics, latest reported year 2024. Values in US dollars.
Imports of coal by year, 2017-2024
Hover or tap a year for detail.
Year by year
| Year | Value | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $243.0M | 1.65M t |
| 2023 | $587.7M | 2.86M t |
| 2022 | $1.81B | 6.74M t |
| 2021 | $598.1M | 4.88M t |
| 2020 | $440.5M | 4.21M t |
| 2019 | $750.6M | 6.64M t |
| 2018 | $1.65B | 13.78M t |
| 2017 | $1.59B | 14.84M t |
Where the United Kingdom imports coal from
The largest suppliers were Colombia (22%), South Africa (16%), United States (15%). Among the main suppliers, Spain grew fastest (+220% on the year before).
| Supplier country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇴 Colombia | $53.6M | 22% |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | $38.3M | 16% |
| 🇺🇸 United States | $36.8M | 15% |
| 🇻🇪 Venezuela | $28.1M | 12% |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | $21.2M | 8.7% |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | $19.3M | 7.9% |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | $17.5M | 7.2% |
| 🇵🇪 Peru | $7.8M | 3.2% |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | $5.3M | 2.2% |
| 🇳🇴 Norway | $4.2M | 1.7% |
Types of coal under HS 2701
| 2701.12 | Coal: bituminous, whether or not pulverised, but not agglomerated | 87% |
| 2701.11 | Coal: anthracite, whether or not pulverised, but not agglomerated | 7% |
| 2701.19 | Coal: (other than anthracite and bituminous), whether or not pulverised but not agglomerated | 4.5% |
| 2701.20 | Briquettes, ovoids and similar solid fuels: manufactured from coal | 1.9% |
Codes and full descriptions: HS heading 2701.
Average import price of coal
The average declared value was about $0.15 per kg, close to the world average of $0.13.
Declared value divided by weight, all 2024 shipments. Prices per shipment and per company are in EximDataX.
The United Kingdom also exports coal
In 2024, the United Kingdom exported coal worth $231.1 million (945.7 thousand tonnes). The largest buyer markets were Norway (21%), United States (12%), Colombia (11%). Trade is spread widely: the top three buyer markets together make up only 44%. Among the main buyer markets, Netherlands grew fastest (+814% on the year before).
| Destination | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇳🇴 Norway | $48.7M | 21% |
| 🇺🇸 United States | $28.3M | 12% |
| 🇨🇴 Colombia | $25.6M | 11% |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | $17.1M | 7.4% |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | $14.4M | 6.2% |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | $11.9M | 5.2% |
| 🇮🇸 Iceland | $11.6M | 5% |
| 🇫🇷 France | $10.4M | 4.5% |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $10.2M | 4.4% |
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | $7.9M | 3.4% |
Who is behind these numbers in the United Kingdom?
Public statistics stop at country totals and the last published year. EximDataX shows the shipment records underneath: the companies, dates, quantities and declared values, updated weekly.
Shipment records are in the platform
Tell us what you trade and we will show you the latest records on a live call.
Direct customs feed: shipment-level records from the official customs source.
Updated weekly on EximDataX (some markets daily), while public statistics stop at 2024.
Source: CEPII BACI (reconciled UN Comtrade data), HS 2017 edition, release 202601, Etalab Open Licence 2.0. Annual values in US dollars at the customs border; quantities in tonnes where reported. HS 2701: Coal; briquettes, ovoids and similar solid fuels manufactured from coal.
Coal trade in the United Kingdom: questions
What is the value of coal imported by the United Kingdom?
The United Kingdom imported coal worth $243.0 million in 2024 (1.65 million tonnes).
Where does the United Kingdom import coal from?
The main supplier countries in 2024 were Colombia (22%), South Africa (16%), United States (15%).
What is the average import price of coal in the United Kingdom?
The average declared import value was about $0.15 per kg in 2024, against a world average of $0.13 per kg.
Does the United Kingdom export coal?
Yes. The United Kingdom exported coal worth $231.1 million in 2024, mainly to Norway, United States, Colombia.
What is the HS code for coal?
Coal falls under HS heading 2701 (Coal; briquettes, ovoids and similar solid fuels manufactured from coal). The six-digit codes under it split the product by type.
How can I find the companies trading coal with the United Kingdom?
These public statistics stop at country level. EximDataX has a direct customs feed for the United Kingdom with shipment-level records, updated weekly, where you can see the importers and exporters by name.
Coal trade in other countries
More trade data for the United Kingdom
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