"Coal imports" refers to the act of bringing coal into a country from another country. It means that the country is buying coal from a foreign source rather than producing it domestically. Full definition
Next, we heard that Chinese coal imports had fallen too, an indicator that is considered much more reliable than domestic consumption by many experts. (treehugger.com)
What it did instead was increase the country's demand for coal imports. (energyandcapital.com)