US coking coal exports rose by 4.8pc on the year in September to 4mn t, driven by increased deliveries to India and China, trade data show.

In January to September, total US exports increased by 10pc from the same period in 2022 to reach 35mn t.

US coking coal exports to India reached nearly 6mn t in in the first nine months of the year, rising by 1.5pc on the year, as increased automobile production and government infrastructure projects supported demand.

US exports to Brazil increased by 23pc over the same period to close to 5mn t, supported by strong exports earlier in the year. But US exports fell in September as Brazilian steel production slowed amid the sustained increase of cheaper, imported steel, notably from China.

The US shipped 4mn t to China in January-September 2023, almost doubling on the year as Chinese buyers returned for cargoes after focusing on purchases of Russian and Mongolian coal the previous year. Chinese met coal imports from the US in September rose nearly fivefold on the year.

Improved automotive production lifted demand in Japan where US imports were up by 31pc year on year to reach 3.4mn t in January to September.

Deliveries to the EU fell to 1mn t in September 2023, down from 1.4mn t a year previously, amid low demand for steel on the continent.

US exports to South Korea decreased by 2.3pc in January-September from a year previously, down to 907,997t, probably a result of robust Russian exports to South Korea earlier in the year. But in September, there was an increase of 43.1pc on the year of US exports to 207,799t, as South Korean mills looked to cap their overall import volumes from Russia this year.

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