EIA: In 2018, U.S. Coal Exports Were the Highest in Five Years

EIA: In 2018, U.S. Coal Exports Were the Highest in Five Years

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Annual Coal Report, and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau While U.S. coal consumption has generally declined since its 2008 peak, EIA expects that U.S. coal exports reached 116 million short tons (MMst) in 2018, the highest level in five years, based on foreign trade data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau. Exports […]

Alabama Coal Industry Posts Record in Met Coal Exports

Alabama’s coal industry posted a gain in 2018. According to the Alabama Coal Association, the state exported 11 million short tons of metallurgical (met) or “coking coal” last year. Valued at $2 billion, the met coal was shipped through the Port of Mobile to steel manufacturers in Europe, South America and Asia. “Met coal is […]

U.S. Coking Coal Exports Rise Further in November

U.S. coking coal exports rose by 3pc on the year in November, as strong Asian demand offset a dip in shipments to Europe and South America, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The U.S. exported 4mn metric tonnes in November, down from 5.3mn t in October, but up from 3.9mn t in November […]

US coal exports drop for first time in 2 years

US coal exports fell for the first time in two years in November, dragged down by a drop in thermal bituminous shipments. Volumes declined to a 10-month low of 8.87mn short tons (8.05mn metric tonnes) from 9.05mn st in November 2017. Thermal coal exports dropped to 4.45mn st from 4.76mn st a year earlier. The […]

Hampton Roads coal exports climbed in January

Coal exports out of Hampton Roads, Virginia, started out the year strongly, rising 18pc in January compared with a year earlier. Shipments last month climbed to 3.43mn short tons (3.11mn metric tonnes) from 2.91mn st in January 2018, according to data from the Virginia Maritime Association. That was the highest level since 3.71mn st were […]

Marine fuel rules will challenge US coal exports

Coal traders will face higher freight costs starting later this year, as shippers gear up for tighter marine fuel standards in 2020, participants said at an industry conference. The International Maritime Organization’s changes, which will cut sulfur limits in marine fuel to 0.5pc from the current 3.5pc starting on 1 January 2020, will push shippers’ […]

US exports to continue to shift to Asia: Update

Asia’s influence over the US coal export market will continue to grow as demand from traditional international customers fades, industry members said at a conference today. “We all expect that demand in the Atlantic market is going to be down, or flat at best,” Jack Porco, president of US producer and trader Xcoal, said at […]

Virginia coal exports rose in 2018, but future uncertain

The three coal terminals in Virginia’s Hampton Roads region saw double-digit increases in exports last year, but a global economy that shows signs of slowing worries some analysts. The Virginian-Pilot reports that the biggest coal-exporting port in North America finished 2018 at nearly 43 million tons (39 million metric tons), a 22-percent rise from 2017 and […]