Viewpoint: US steam coal exports shift to Europe

Viewpoint: US steam coal exports shift to Europe

Europe may continue to dominate US thermal coal exports in 2023, as EU countries continue to block Russian coal and Moscow’s drastic cuts to natural gas supply keep gas prices elevated. But demand for high-sulfur coal may wane. Europe passed Asia as the primary destination for US steam coal exports in August for the first […]

U.S. Coal Exports To Europe Up 46% By Weight, 184% By Value

Europe is buying almost 50% more U.S. coal as winter approaches and the Russian invasion of Ukraine drags on, increasing the percentage of U.S. coal shipped to Europe to the highest level since 2016. The overall value of U.S. coal exports to Europe has risen significantly more, up 184.21%, according to the latest Census Bureau […]

A low Mississippi River is about to deepen Europe’s energy crisis

The Mississippi River is a vital U.S. waterway that ferries key commodities between the heart of America and the Gulf Coast—and drought is putting waterborne trade in jeopardy. Drought depleted river levels so much that in some spots vessels are getting stuck. One shipping company said low water levels are causing severe impacts to navigation not seen […]

Factbox: Europe ramps up coal imports as energy supply fears grow

European buyers have had to temporarily set aside green aspirations in a rush for coal as the region’s energy crisis deepens, ramping up shipments from Australia, South America, Colombia and South Africa while tightening the global market. Russia has resumed pumping gas via its biggest pipeline to Germany after a 10-day outage, allaying some of […]

Global coal demand is set to return to its all-time high in 2022

Despite a slowing global economy and lockdowns in China, soaring natural gas prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are propping up the world’s use of coal this year. The world’s consumption of coal is set to rise slightly in 2022, taking it back to the record level it reached nearly a decade ago, according to […]

Coal far from dead: Global trade thrives, war reroutes shipping

“The market has spoken: Coal is dying” declared a September 2019 headline in CNN Business, after China announced it would cease funding overseas coal projects. “Coal is dead. Power to the people!” activist group 350.org triumphantly tweeted. These predictions have not aged well. Bulk cargo vessels full of coal crisscross the oceans. Storage areas are […]

Europe’s new trade flows for coal shaping up as import ban on Russia looms

With the flow of Russian coal to Europe coming to a final end, buyers jostling for alternatives are increasingly in favor of tapping non-traditional markets, a development many believe, for better, will likely lead to the creation of new trade flows for the fuel. While obvious substitutes like South Africa, Australia and Indonesia are a […]

U.S. Should Begin Exporting More Coal to European Nations

Against the backdrop of war in Ukraine, U.S. coal shipments to Europe are playing a quiet yet critical role in keeping the lights on from Rome to Amsterdam. If the shipments continue through the winter — and are ramped to replace the loss of Russian fuel — they will save millions of people from freezing […]

Coal prices soar to record highs on strong demand from a Europe in crisis

Domestic coal prices have shot to record territory as the global energy crisis and the European Union’s impending Russian coal ban drive European power customers to seek out imports from the United States. European countries contending with significantly pricier natural gas are staring down a shortage of gas supplies this winter, leading them to switch back to more of the carbon-intensive fuel they’ve […]

European coal imports support dry bulk freight rates

Increased European coal imports are providing support for dry bulker freight rates as heightened demand for alternative sources of thermal fuel amid western sanctions on Russia is partially offsetting downward pressure from diminished iron ore demand globally. Since the onset of the war in Ukraine in late February, coal imports by some European countries have […]