The Mongolian government has announced a plan to open a new rail border crossing with China by 2028. The new link should help streamline Mongolian coal exports to China, boosting capacity by 30 million tonnes.
The new border crossing will be located at Gashuun Sukhait, some 380 kilometres west of the currently operational crossing at Zamiin Uud. There is already rail infrastructure present on both sides of the border at Gashuun Sukhait. Construction of the new link is expected to start in April 2025 and be completed by 2028.
With the 30 million tonne capacity boost, coal export capacity will grow to 165 million tonnes annually. In 2024, Mongolia exported 83 million tonnes of coal to China. Beijing is looking to find additional sources of coal for its metallurgical industry as sanctions and tariffs make Russian and American products more difficult to import.
