Indonesia’s coal miners have not submitted any revisions to reduce their 2026 production targets despite falling exports to key markets China and India, a senior energy ministry official said on Tuesday.
“Until now, no companies have adjusted their production plans due to the decline in demand,” said Surya Herjuna, Director of Coal Business Development at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), as quoted by Bloombergtechnoz.com.
Surya declined to comment on whether any firms had requested revisions to increase output.
The government has set an October 2025 deadline for companies to submit revisions to their 2026 Work Plans and Budgets (RKAB). This applies to all miners, including those operating under the three-year planning scheme.
The ESDM has approved 587 RKAB submissions for 2025, with total coal production set at 917.16 million tonnes. As of Aug. 31, 2025, 885 coal mining business permits (IUP) were registered, according to the ministry’s Minerba One Data Indonesia (MODI) system.
Export slump
Indonesia's coal export performance declined sharply in the first seven months of the year due to lower demand from its two largest markets.
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The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported that export value fell 21.74% year-on-year to $13.82 billion in the January–July period, down from $17.66 billion in the same period last year.
Export volumes dropped 6.96% to 214.71 million tonnes, from 230.76 million tonnes a year earlier. The average export price fell 9.64% to $64.37 per tonne.
APBI: China, India demand falls
The Indonesian Coal Mining Association (APBI) attributed the decline to weaker demand from China and India.
“Exports to China were down 19.2% year-to-date as of July 2025,” said acting executive director Gita Mahyarani. However, she noted that monthly exports to China rose 42.1% in July compared to June.
Gita said the drop in Chinese demand was linked to higher domestic coal production and an increased share of clean energy in its power mix. She added that global coal imports had declined 22.9% year-on-year.
Exports to India were down 8.8% year-to-date, while shipments in July alone fell 16% from a year earlier, Gita said, citing reduced electricity and industrial demand in the country. India has also increased imports of higher-grade coal from suppliers such as South Africa, the United States, and Australia.
Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak
