China Agrees to Import 10 Million Tons of US Coal Annually
The White House announced the two-year energy purchase alongside tariff relief on $30 billion of goods, but Beijing omitted the fuel pledge from its summit record.
MGBy Mei-lin Guo, China correspondent, critical minerals and energy··Updated September 26, 2026·3 min read
ShareLinkedInXWhatsAppEmailCoal travels along a conveyor belt toward a docked cargo ship at a port as a worker in a hard hat stands by a railing. (AI-generated image)
The White House said Sept. 26 that China agreed to import at least 10 million metric tons of American coal in 2027 and another 10 million tons in 2028.
The commitment covers more than 20 million metric tons across the two years. That volume equals roughly 10% of total annual U.S. coal exports, which ran near 100 million short tons last year.
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China correspondent, critical minerals and energy — Mei-lin Guo reports on rare earth separation, lithium refining and the licensing decisions that determine what leaves the country.
