By David Gambrel

Although India is one of the world’s largest coal producing countries, it cannot keep up with its own demand for coal. Indian coal producers are under steadily-increasing pressure to import more coal per year, a pressure being increased by the threat of government fines. For years its primary sources of imported coal have been Indonesia, Australia and South Africa. The last two years have seen Indian coal buyers working with U.S. producers in an effort to tie up about 67 million tons.

By David Gambrel

For many years Alabama has appeared to the outside world (everywhere not within the Alabama borders) as a self-contained idealistic economy. Its steel industry and power plants were furnished coal by its own nearby coal mines, and the coal was hauled from Alabama mines to the plants by a small group of barge and railroad companies.