The country has exported 175.15 million tonnes of coal in January to May.

A major global thermal coal producer, Indonesia’s exports for the full year are expected to hit 435 million tonnes, said the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry in a Reuters report. This is well below the 458.8 million tonnes of coal exported in 2019, according to data from Indonesia Coal Miners Association (APBI).

The country has exported 175.15 million tonnes of coal in January to May.

Chairman of APBI, Pandu Sjahrir, said that the 2020 global seaborne demand, which was estimated at 980 million tonnes before the crisis, had now been revised down to 895 million tonnes due the impact of the pandemic.

Sjahrir added that he did not expect global demand for coal to recover to the 2019 level until 2022 as shipments of Indonesian thermal coal has been majorly impacted, with 65% of the exports being countries hit by lockdowns and restrictions, including China, India, and the Philippines.