Kazakhstan's coal exports rose 2.27% year on year in June 2026 to 2.34 million tonnes, data from the Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan showed, supported by stable transshipment via Russian ports and the EU's sanctions exemption for certain Russian ports.

Hard coal exports totaled 2.28 million tonnes, up 2.5% year on year, while lignite exports fell 5.2% to 59,100 tonnes. On a month-on-month basis, total coal exports declined 5.64% in June, with hard coal down 5.3% and lignite down 17.7%.

Poland and Uzbekistan are among the main destinations for Kazakh coal. The year-on-year increase was partly attributed to the EU's July 2025 decision to exempt certain Russian ports from sanctions for transshipping Kazakh coal, preserving this key export route and underpinning shipment volumes.

In the first half of 2026, Kazakhstan's cumulative coal exports reached 14.93 million tonnes, up 4.54% year on year. Hard coal exports rose 4.0% to 14.36 million tonnes, while lignite exports increased 19.8% to 565,900 tonnes.