Kyrgyzstan has imposed a six-month ban on coal exports by road, with effect from 23 June.
The temporary ban applies to coal from Kyrgyzstan classified under HS codes 2701 and 2702, an official document shows. But the ban will not apply to shipments through the Irkeshtam and Torugart border crossings.
Both transport routes are landlocked Kyrgyzstan's primary gateways to China, with the Irkeshtam pass running from the southern coal mining region of Osh and the Torugart road from the northern coal mining region of Naryn through Bishkek.
And state-owned producer Kyrgyzkomur is exempt for the ban and can continue exporting by road. Kyrgyzkomur operates the Kara-Keche coal mine in Naryn — one of the country's most important coal deposits.
Kyrgyzstan's energy ministry earlier this month announced plans to produce almost 1.62mn t of thermal coal this year from the Kara-Keche mine. Kyrgyzstan produced 1.4mn t of coal from new deposits in 2025.
The ban repeals a similar resolution introduced on 3 December that previously regulated coal transport, according to the document.
Kyrgyzstan exported around 294,000t of coal in January-March, down by 1.1pc on the year, according to customs data compiled by Global Trade Tracker. It exported nearly 15,000t to China during the same period. Kyrgyzstan imported around 425,200t in the first three months of 2026 from central Asia's largest coal producer Kazakhstan, down by 65pc from a year earlier.
Kyrgyzstan plans further measures to boost its coal sector this year, with aims to increase domestic coal-fired generation and cover shortfalls currently offset by importing electricity. The country's grid is mainly powered by coal-fired plants and generates about 14.5 TWh/yr.
