Name major coal importers.

• A. China, Japan, Korea, India, EU
• B. USA, Canada, Mexico
• C. Australia, Indonesia, Russia
• D. UK, France, Germany

Answer: (A)

In the global coal market, the biggest importers are countries and regions that have high electricity and industrial demand but limited domestic coal resources, so they rely on foreign coal to keep power plants running and steel mills fed.

China imports large volumes to supplement its vast energy needs and to support industrial growth, even though it is a major coal producer. Japan and South Korea have few natural coal resources of their own, so they depend heavily on imports to power their grids and industries. India faces rapidly growing energy demand and imports a substantial amount of coal to bridge gaps in domestic production. The European Union, as a large economy with significant energy use and a mix of coal-fired plants still in operation, also remains a major importer.

The other options mix in countries that are primarily exporters or smaller importers, so they don’t reflect the top-level importers as a group.