The catalytic performance of MoCl3-LiCl-KCl and NiCl2-LiCl-KCl salts in coal hydroliquefaction with the H donor tetralin was studied. Yilan subbituminous coal impregnated with the above catalysts and with LiCl-KCl at different loading levels (weight ratios of salts to coal of 0.1-1.0) was hydroliquefied at 400°C for 1 h with an initial H2 pressure of 4.9 MPa. Increased loading of the MoCl3 salt increased oil field (up to 50 wt percent), coal conversion, and H2 consumption, decreased the net hydrogen transfer from tetralin, and lowered the heteroatom content of oil. Addition of the NiCl2 salt below a weight ratio of 0.2 led to more pronounced increase in oil yield, coal conversion, and H2 consumption and decreases in net hydrogen transfer from tetralin than with the MoCl3 systems.