Coal exports out of Hampton Roads, Virginia, climbed to a 10-month high in March, as terminals scrambled to recover from weather-related delays in February.

Terminals at the port handled 4.12mn short tons (3.74mn metric tonnes) of thermal and metallurgical coal last month, the most since May 2024, according to Virginia Maritime Association estimates released on 25 April. Coal exports also were higher than the 3.87mn st loaded in March 2024.

March was the first time in 2025 that exports out of Hampton Roads topped year-earlier levels and the first time since May 2024 that volumes were above 4mn st. Norfolk Southern’s (NS) Lamberts Point terminal accounted for much of the gains, with loadings rebounding from a 15-month low in February. Heavy rain and snow disrupted NS’ rail operations during the first quarter. In mid-February, the railroad declared force majeure for a period of time, market sources said. Rival eastern railroad CSX, as well as some coal mining operations, also had to cope with weather-related disruptions early in the first quarter.

NS’ commercial and operations staff took measures last month to “catch up” volumes at Lamberts Point, company chief operating officer John Orr said last week.

The Virginia Maritime Association tracked 56 coal vessels departing Hampton Roads terminals last month, compared with 42 in February and 48 in March 2024.

Coal loadings at Lamberts Point, which is also known as Pier 6, jumped to 1.98mn st in March from 1.66mn st a year earlier and 1.08mn st in February.

Dominion Terminal Associates, which is co-owned by Alpha Metallurgical Resources and Core Natural Resources, loaded 36pc more coal last month than it had in February, but shipments were lower than a year earlier. The terminal’s loadings slipped to 1.28mn st in March from 1.42mn st in the same month of 2024.

Kinder Morgan’s Pier IX terminal handled 868,225st of coal exports last month, compared with 786,488st a year earlier and 1.1mn st in February.

Despite the gains in March, export market conditions have been less supportive for both US thermal and coking coal this year than they were in early 2024. Both demand and pricing are lower. Argus‘ high-volatile type A coking coal assessment averaged $181.55/t fob Hampton Roads, compared with $237/t in the same month last year. And prompt two-month deliveries of 6,000 kcal/kg coal to northwest Europe ⎼ a benchmark for Atlantic thermal coal trading ⎼ averaged $97.78/t cif Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA), which was nearly 16pc below what it had been in March 2024.

In addition, some US coal producers are focusing sales on domestic customers because of interest from utilities and higher prices. Prompt quarter shipments of Central Appalachian CSX rail-originated coal with 12,000 Btu/lb averaged $75/st last month, compared with $66.60/st a year earlier. That was the only reason that the midpoint of Argus‘ high-low range for 6,000 kcal/kg coal out of Hampton Roads ⎼ which typically is based off of the CSX and cif ARA prices and freight costs ⎼ was slightly higher in March than it had been a year earlier.

NS and CSX executives earlier this month said lower export prices have weighed on international coal shipments. CSX’s coal export volumes last quarter also were dragged down by temporarily idled operations at two mines that the railroad did not identify.

Hampton Roads’ first quarter coal export loadings fell to 9.4mn st from 10.6mn st. Exports from Lamberts Point and DTA fell to 4.15mn st and 2.83mn st, respectively, from 4.61mn st and 3.72mn st. Shipments out of Pier IX increased to 2.46mn st from 2.29mn st.

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