Based on data from China's statistics agency, China produced 9.6 million tons of coal per day in May 2017, down 2.2 percent month-on-month (m/m). This decline is attributed to stricter security checks at Chinese coal mines. Meanwhile, coal imports from Australia into China fell 13 percent (m/m) in May due to a strong tropical cyclone.

However, Indonesia's benchmark coal price (in Indonesian: Harga Batubara Acuan, or HBA) fell 9.9 percent (m/m) to USD $75.46 per metric ton in June as it still needed to absorb the developments of the past month. The June HBA is at its lowest point in 2017. However, analysts believe there is room for growth from here on to the end of the year.

Indonesian Government's Benchmark Thermal Coal Price (HBA):

Month  2012  2013  2014  2015
 2016  2017
January 109.29  87.55  81.90  63.84  53.20  86.23
February 111.58  88.35  80.44  62.92  50.92  83.32
March 112.87  90.09  77.01  67.76  51.62  81.90
April 105.61  88.56  74.81  64.48  52.32  82.51
May 102.12  85.33  73.60  61.08  51.20  83.81
June  96.65  84.87  73.64  59.59  51.87  75.46
July  87.56  81.69  72.45  59.16  53.00
August  84.65  76.70  70.29  59.14  58.37
September  86.21  76.89  69.69  58.21  63.93
October  86.04  76.61  67.26  57.39  69.07
November  81.44  78.13  65.70  54.43  84.89
December  81.75  80.31  69.23  53.51 101.69

in USD/ton
Source: Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources

Indonesian Production, Export, Consumption & Price of Coal:

  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Production
(in mln tons)
 217  240  254  275  353  412  474  458  461
Export
(in mln tons)
 163  191  198  210  287  345  402  382  366
Domestic
(in mln tons)
  61   49   56   65   66   67   72   76   87
Price (HBA)
(in USD/ton)
  n.a   n.a  70.7  91.7 118.4  95.5  82.9  72.6  60.1

Sources: Indonesian Coal Mining Association (APBI) & Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources

Bahas