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==Coal Exports==
As of 2011, South Africa is the world's sixth largest coal producer and fifth largest exporter. In 2009 it produced 247Mt of hard coal, of which 27% was exported. 99% of its exports were thermal coal. Historically the country's largest export operations were owned by [[Anglo American]], [[BHP Billiton]] and [[Xstrata]]. [[Richards Bay Coal Terminal]] in South Africa was once the world's largest coal export terminal.<ref>[http://www.forbescoal.com/projects/coal-markets/ "Introduction to the South African Coal Industry"] Forbes Coal, accessed July 2011.</ref>
In September 2010, Bloomberg reported that coal prices from South Africa may rise to a two-year high as sales surge to India and China. South Africa accounts for about 30 percent of India’s thermal coal imports, according to coal ministry data. Shipments in the first eight months of 2010 increased to 13.3 million tons, while China’s purchases surged to 4.7 million tons, according to mjunction Services Ltd., a Kolkata-based trader backed by Tata Steel Ltd. and Steel Authority of India Ltd., two of the country’s three biggest coking-coal consumers. South Africa, the world’s fifth-largest coal producer, is selling more to Asia than to Europe for the first time, according to mjunction. Purchases by Asia in the first eight months totaled 29 million tons as Asian economies rebounded while Europe brought in 5.8 million tons, mjunction said.<ref>Dinakar Sethuraman and Archana Chaudhary, [http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-23/coal-from-south-africa-seen-rebounding-on-sales-to-india-energy-markets.html "Coal From South Africa Seen Rebounding on Sales to India: Energy Markets"] Bloomberg, Sep. 22, 2010.</ref>
