Colombia slashes coal sales to Israel

Colombia’s coal exports fell sharply in July, with sales dropping nearly half compared to last year, according to government data released on Wednesday.

The figures come days after President Gustavo Petro reaffirmed a ban on coal exports to Israel over its genocide in Gaza.

The country sold $479.8m worth of coal in July, a 45.8 percent drop from $885.8m in the same month of 2024, the National Administrative Department of Statistics said. Colombia, Latin America’s largest coal producer, has seen the sector shrink for five straight quarters as international prices collapse.

Mining unions say increased production in Indonesia has driven global prices down. But Petro’s stance has shifted focus from market losses to Colombia’s moral leadership, with the president doubling down on his decision to stop supplying Israel, once Colombia’s biggest coal buyer.