Mongolia’s coal export to China soars

The steady decline in Mongolia’s exports of coal for all uses since June ended last month, with August exports soaring by 61.4% on month to 1 million tonnes, thanks to the recovery of truck transportation through key checkpoints on the China-Mongolia border, according to recent data from Mongolia’s Customs. China takes almost all Mongolian coal for export.

Last month’s export volume was still lower by an equally huge 73.6% on year, due to measures still in place at the border to control the spread of the coronavirus between the two countries, according to sources. Mongolian coal exports to China via the Ganqimaodu checkpoint in North China’s Inner Mongolia.

Mongolia’s total coal exports during 2020 plunged by 22% to 28.6 million tonnes, well below the target set by Ulaanbaatar at the start of the year to lift exports to beyond 40 million tonnes last year.