By Dominikus
China has recently resumed coking coal exports to Indonesia, but only on a spot basis, according to a Chinese supplier.
Trade data shows that in April 2025, China exported 78,030 metric tons of coking coal to Indonesia, the first recorded shipment since July 2023. While data for May has not yet been released, industry sources confirm that at least three cargoes have been delivered in recent months.
“These are spot shipments, not long-term contracts,” said Monika, Director of the Energy and Chemical Department at Shanxi Coking Coal International Trading Co., Ltd., in an email to Petromindo.com. “It’s interesting that Indonesia is seeking more coking coal imports, but everything we have supplied so far has been on a spot basis,” she added.
Indonesia’s growing coke industry is driving this demand. The country’s metallurgical coke production capacity is distributed across several large industrial players. PT Risun Wei Shan Indonesia and PT Detian Coking Indonesia each operate with capacities of 4.8 million tons per year, while PT Kinxiang New Energy Indonesia has 3.9 million tons, with five out of six coke ovens already in trial production. Other major producers include PT Dexin Steel (2.8 Mtpa) and PT Kinrui New Energy Technologies Indonesia (2.6 Mtpa).
Read also: China ships coking coal to Indonesia in rare trade move
Mid-sized players include PT Krakatau Posco (1.4 Mtpa), PT Indonesia Tsingshan Stainless Steel (700,000 tpa), and PT Krakatau Steel (504,000 tpa). Meanwhile, semi-coke producers such as PT Megah Energi Khatulistiwa and PT Multi Harapan Utama are each listed at 500,000 tons, though PT Megah is reportedly no longer in operation. PT Indocoke Industry has suspended its 350,000-ton plant, with a possible restart in 2026.
On the mining side, Indonesia has 4,258 nationally registered mining permits as of May 2025, including 885 coal-related licenses. However, only seven companies are actively producing metallurgical-grade coal. These include PT Kartika Selabumi Mining, PT Marunda Graha Mineral, PT Maruwai Coal, PT Nantoy Bara Lestari, PT Semesta Alam Barito, PT Suprabari Mapanindo Mineral, and PT Borneo Prima.
New met coal players such as PT Multi Tambangjaya Utama, PT Daya Bumindo Karunia, PT Bumi Barito Mineral, and PT Diva Kencana Borneo are expected to enter production in the coming years.
Indonesia produced 9.8 million tonnes of coking coal in 2023. The government has maintained a production target of 11.8 million tonnes for both 2024 and 2025.
Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak
