After years of decline, by 1973 seaborne trade in coal had declined to around 21 Mt. However, starting in 1974, seaborne trade in coal has experienced growth with the driving forces being, at least partly, the two oil crises and a distinct move away from further nuclear development. Thus, by 1999, global seaborne coal trade has grown to 316 Mt. In fact, in a number of countries, coal has become a significant contributor to the primary global energy demand. For example, in the U.S. and China, coal is the dominant fuel for electricity generation.
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