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How would this have changed if we were mining our own coal? If they're using an amount that far outstrips everyone else combined, the environmental damage would be largely the same with or without US coal.

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1) A substantial portion of the Chinese coal is burned to produce steel and other products that are exported to the United States. 2) Burning that coal here (where there are environmental regulations) would produce less damage that burning it in China (where there are effectively none).

I'm not sure why this is confusing.

I'm also not sure why people are modding down factual posts. That type of behavior is exactly what's given you President Trump.

That's it! Keep making the bad facts go away!

China exports 800 million tons of steel and the US only imports 1.9% of that. Burning coal here will have very little impact on China steel operations.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-column-russell-steel-china... http://www.ita.doc.gov/steel/countries/pdfs/imports-us.pdf

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