Japan is the largest importer of U.S. coal, primarily for electricity generation and steel production.

Japan is the top importer of U.S. coal, a crucial energy resource for the country’s industrial sectors. The nation's reliance on coal for electricity generation and steel production drives this demand. While other countries like China and India also import large quantities of coal, Japan consistently imports the most U.S. coal due to its advanced infrastructure, energy needs, and lack of significant domestic coal reserves. U.S. coal exports to Japan include both thermal coal used for power plants and metallurgical coal required for steelmaking.