Russian coal industry loses large export markets in the Ukraine and China
According to the “Russia coking coal market analysis” made by BusinesStat in 2016, the volumes of its production allow not only to satisfy the domestic demand but export the products. In 2011-2015 coking coal production in the country rose by 23.5% from 65.3 mln tons to 80.7 mln tons. The rate showed the annual growth. In the conditions of a relatively stable domestic demand, the growing focus on export of producers influenced on the production growth.
In 2011-2015 the volume of coking coal export from Russia rose by 73.3% from 9.5 mln to 16.5 mln tons. The export grew significantly in 2012-2013 – by 34.9% and 60.7% respectively against previous years. This growth was due to the growth of supplies to the Ukraine and China. In 2011-2013 the supplies to the Ukraine increased by 1.4 times – from 3.9 mln to 5.6 mln tons, to China – by 7 times: from 0.5 mln tons to 3.3 mln tons.
In 2014-2015 the export significantly fell which was mainly due to the reduction of supplies to the Ukraine and China. The Ukraine focused on the cutting of its dependence on the raw materials from Russia and growth of coking coal import from the far abroad countries. Moreover, coke production seriously fell in the Ukraine due to the situation in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.