Thermal coal futures held steady around $130 per ton in late July, even as coal demand in China strengthened after a relatively mild start to summer gave way to hotter weather, driving greater air conditioner use and electricity consumption. Central and eastern China have been gripped by widespread hot and humid conditions as two high-pressure systems combined to form a heat dome. Despite the pickup in demand, China’s coal inventories remain elevated, while domestic production continues to face constraints after a fatal accident in Shanxi in late May triggered extensive safety inspections. In Indonesia, supply concerns also lent support to coal prices as dry weather disrupted coal barging operations along the Barito River in Kalimantan, a vital transport route for the country’s coal exports, with some miners reportedly declaring force majeure on affected shipments.

Coal fell to 130.20 USD/T on July 29, 2026, down 0.04% from the previous day. Over the past month, Coal's price has risen 0.42%, and is up 13.17% compared to the same time last year, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Historically, Coal reached an all time high of 457.80 in September of 2022. Coal - data, forecasts, historical chart - was last updated on July 30 of 2026.

Coal fell to 130.20 USD/T on July 29, 2026, down 0.04% from the previous day. Over the past month, Coal's price has risen 0.42%, and is up 13.17% compared to the same time last year, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Coal is expected to trade at 132.81 USD/MT by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate it to trade at 142.86 in 12 months time.



Price Day Month Year Date
Crude Oil 83.86 -0.600 -0.71% 22.28% 21.08% Jul/30
Brent 89.36 -1.381 -1.52% 24.85% 24.63% Jul/30
Natural gas 2.75 0.0247 0.91% -14.70% -11.57% Jul/30
Heating Oil 4.20 -0.1686 -3.86% 30.57% 75.36% Jul/30
Coal 130.20 -0.05 -0.04% 0.42% 13.17% Jul/29
EU Gas 58.62 -1.95 -3.22% 36.27% 66.15% Jul/30
UK Gas 143.24 -5.0000 -3.37% 40.86% 64.95% Jul/30
Bitumen 4,131.00 -14.00 -0.34% 8.83% 13.05% Jul/30
Ethanol 1.96 0 0% 4.53% 12.64% Jul/29
Uranium 86.60 0.1500 0.17% 1.29% 21.54% Jul/29
Cobalt 56,290.00 0 0% 0% 68.86% Jul/29
Lead 1,899.73 -4.70 -0.25% 1.32% -3.73% Jul/30
Aluminum 3,194.00 15.40 0.48% 3.12% 24.50% Jul/30
Tin 53,882.00 299 0.56% 4.48% 61.52% Jul/29
Zinc 3,617.50 41.70 1.17% 3.20% 30.78% Jul/30
Nickel 17,315.00 175 1.02% 5.64% 15.82% Jul/30
Palladium 1,317.00 66.50 5.31% 7.64% 9.39% Jul/30


Coal
Coal is one of the most widely used energy sources globally, particularly for electricity generation and industrial processes such as steel production. Despite the growth of renewable energy, coal remains a key component of the global energy mix, and its prices are closely monitored due to their impact on power generation costs and industrial activity. Coal futures are traded on major exchanges, including the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) and the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). A widely referenced contract is the Newcastle coal futures contract listed on ICE, which represents 1,000 metric tonnes. On the supply side, China is the largest producer and consumer of coal globally. Other major producers include the United States, India, Australia, Indonesia, Russia, South Africa, Germany, and Poland. Leading exporters include Indonesia, Australia, Russia, United States, Colombia, South Africa, and Kazakhstan. Coal prices displayed on Trading Economics are based on over-the-counter (OTC) and contract for difference (CFD) financial instruments and are intended to provide a general market reference only. These prices do not represent official benchmark prices. The data is supplied by a third party and, while efforts are made to ensure its reliability, Trading Economics does not verify the data and makes no representations or warranties.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
130.20 130.25 457.80 48.40 2008 - 2026 USD/MT Daily

News Stream
Coal Holds Firm as Chinese Demand Picks Up
Thermal coal futures held steady around $130 per ton in late July, even as coal demand in China strengthened after a relatively mild start to summer gave way to hotter weather, driving greater air conditioner use and electricity consumption. Central and eastern China have been gripped by widespread hot and humid conditions as two high-pressure systems combined to form a heat dome. Despite the pickup in demand, China’s coal inventories remain elevated, while domestic production continues to face constraints after a fatal accident in Shanxi in late May triggered extensive safety inspections. In Indonesia, supply concerns also lent support to coal prices as dry weather disrupted coal barging operations along the Barito River in Kalimantan, a vital transport route for the country’s coal exports, with some miners reportedly declaring force majeure on affected shipments.
2026-07-30
Coal Holds Near 1-Month High
Thermal coal futures were at around $130 per tonne in late July, approaching its highest level in a month after touching a four-month low in late June, as supply concerns in Indonesia supported prices. Dry weather disrupted coal barging operations along the Barito River in Kalimantan, a key transport route for the country’s coal exports, with some miners reportedly declaring force majeure on affected volumes. The disruptions raised concerns over potential shipment delays from Indonesia, the world’s largest thermal coal exporter, supporting expectations of tighter near-term availability. At the same time, rising oil prices amid escalating Middle East tensions lifted broader energy markets, with concerns over possible supply disruptions adding to upward pressure on fuel costs. Meanwhile, gains remained limited by subdued demand in China, where high inventories and cautious utility buying continued to weigh on import demand.
2026-07-23
Coal Hover Near 3-Month Low
Thermal coal futures from Australia were at around $130 per tonne in July, not far from their lowest level since early March, as muted purchases from India offset a broader-based rebound for energy commodities. A weak rupee and an upgrade to the quantity of domestic production drove Indian utilities to extend its effort of reducing import dependency. This was combined with elevated levels of domestic inventories for the second-largest consumer to take in lower imports and soften bidding competition from other consumers. Still, energy commodities remained higher since March as fresh escalation between the US and Iran triggered another increase in power prices. LNG tankers held off from crossing the Strait of Hormuz after a vessel was struck by Iran. This supported the outlook that Japan and Korea, the main consumers of higher coal grades from Australia, are likely to maintain coal imports amid higher LNG prices.
2026-07-08