ULAN BATOR, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's coal exports increased 11.7 percent year on year in the first four months of 2019, the Mongolian Customs General Administration (MCGA) said Thursday.

The resource-rich Asian country exported around 11.4 million tons of coal during the period, which was worth 961 million U.S. dollars, posting a year-on-year rise to 21.6 percent.

The coal price per ton was an average of 77.8 dollars from January to April in 2018, and it increased to 84.4 dollars on a year-on-year basis in 2019, the MCGA said in a statement.

Coal is the landlocked country's main export commodity. The country exported a total of 36.5 million tons of coal in 2018, reaching an all-time high.

The country has set itself the goal of increasing coal exports to 40 million tons in the coming years.