A proposed $1 million per ship fee on Chinese manufactured transport ships, will have serious repercussions affecting coal exports around the world. 

In the waning days of the Biden Administration, five national labor unions filed a petition with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 requesting an investigation into the acts, policies, and practices of China in the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors.. Section 301 allows the United States to respond to unreasonable or discriminatory foreign government practices that burden or restrict U.S. commerce. Arguing that the “American commercial shipbuilding industry is a shell of its former self,” the petition stated that the number of commercial shipyards in the United States had significantly decreased, jobs had been lost, and U.S.  amounted to only a fraction of one percent of the world’s commercial vessels. The petition alleged that China, as the world’s largest shipbuilding nation, has “seized market share, suppressed prices, and created a worldwide network of ports and logistics infrastructure that threaten to discriminate against U.S. ships and shipping companies, disrupt supply chains, and undermine vital national security interests.” As of 2025, Chinese manufacturers accounted for more than 50 percent of the world's transport ship builds.

WVCA' President Chris Hamilton provided the keynote address during the Institute’s Annual Scholarship Dinner at the Country Club in Chapmanville WV.   

Hamilton talked about the industry having a once in a lifetime opportunity and how important the southern coal fields are to the overall health of the state.  

Hamilton congratulated scholarship winners from Logan Mingo and Boone Counties. 

Charleston, W.Va. – The West Virginia Coal Association today expressed its strong and overwhelming support for President Donald Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin's plan to roll back dozens of Biden-era regulations in a move towards revitalizing the coal industry, stabilizing grid reliability, and promoting economic growth in West Virginia and across the nation. 

West Virginia - the heart of America’s coal country - has found its ideal political leadership in incoming President Donald Trump, Governor Patrick Morrisey, Senators Capito and Justice and Congressional Representatives Miller and Moore.  Add in our state legislative leadership of Hanshaw and Smith, their legislative colleagues and members of the Board of Public Works, together, they represent a bright new dawn for our state, one where the coal industry isn’t just surviving but thriving. They bring a bold vision, unwavering commitment, and proven leadership that promises to elevate West Virginia's economy and protect its way of life. 

There is a sudden, unexpected and massive rise in electricity demand occurring across the country due to a variety of factors converging before us.

Large power-gobbling data centers necessary to support our nation’s ever-increasing digital activities and the evolution of artificial intelligence technologies are a primary factor.

Our growing economy, the rise in remote work, personal technology reliance, and electric vehicle usage are also contributing to this demand.

This is great news for states like West Virginia, which generate more electricity than it consumes and has the capability and capacity to accommodate the expected growth in demand.

Not only is West Virginia blessed with indigenous coal supplies, but we also check the box for available land mass and plentiful water supplies necessary for power development.