Last week was filled with news regarding coal mining accidents in both China and West Virginia in the United States. For many, mining is an industry of the last century and not one that fits in the economy of 2010. In reality, it is an industry that drives much of the world’s energy production. Coal is the fuel that powers iPads, Blackberries, and servers of the new economy.

The accident in West Virginia occured at a Met Coal mine. This type of coal is of a very high quality, which is used in the production of iron ore to produce the steel that is incorporated in everything from sky scrapers in Dubai to the frames of Toyota Prius' in California.

In 2009, the United States exported over $1.36 billion via ocean vessel of Met Coal (HTS – 2701.12.0050) to countries around the world. Below is a pie chart of the countries that the U.S. exports this type of coal to:



While exports for HTS – 2701.12.0050 reduced 23% by vessel value and 31% by vessel weight, this is still a very important export industry for the United States, ranking 99th in total value for all U.S. export HTS Codes for 2009. For more information about other energy related HTS Codes, please visit HTS - 27.