Coal news and updates

Kyrgyzstan bans coal exports by truck for six months before start of heating season

The Government of Kyrgyzstan has imposed a six-month ban on exports of coal by truck according to a decree signed by Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov, Azernews reports, citing Interfax.

However, this ban does not apply to coal transportation through the Irkeshtam-Avtodorozhny and Torugart-Avtodorozhny road checkpoints on the border with China.

Nor does it affect the operation of the state-owned company Kyrgyzkomur, which can continue to ship coal by truck through all checkpoints on the country's state border.

In all other cases, coal can only be exported from Kyrgyzstan by rail.

The Kyrgyz Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are to notify the World Trade Organization, the Eurasian Economic Commission and the CIS Executive Committee of the temporary ban within three days of the decree entering force.

The ban is aimed at preventing a possible shortage of coal in the domestic market before the 2023-24 autumn-winter heating season and to avoid spikes in coal prices.