US rail traffic down on coal demand, trade war

Eastern US railroad CSX is the only major carrier to have increased coal shipments this year, with low natural gas prices driving down shipments at other railroads. The year-on-year increase in CSX’s coal volume has been relatively small, but it stands in sharp contrast with its competitors. CSX coal volume rose by 0.9pc during the […]

Vietnam mulls importing U.S. coal for power generation

Vietnam is considering importing coal from the United States to meet rising demand for the fuel for power generation, state media reported on Tuesday, as the Southeast Asian country plans to build more coal-fired power plants. Vietnam is also seeking to import more U.S. goods to help narrow its trade surplus with the United States […]

World News: Colombian coal output to fall this year: ACM

Colombia’s coal production may decline this year because of low prices, said Juan Camilo Nariño, the new director of the Colombian Mining Association (ACM). Thermal coal prices are at levels that make production from some mine pits unprofitable, Nariño said last week on the sidelines of a mining event organized by the Ministry of Mines […]

Coal ship departures from Baltimore climb on week to eight: cFlow

Houston — Eight laden coal ships departed from Baltimore in the week ended July 28, up from six in the previous week, according to cFlow, Platts’ trade flow software. Two of the departures are expected to stop in Norfolk, Virginia, while another is expected to head to Savannah, Georgia. An additional two ships are destined […]

World News: More Chinese ports tighten coal import restrictions

Customs authorities in eastern China’s Shandong province have tightened restrictions on imported coal, market participants said, following moves by major ports in northern China such as Jingtang and Caofeidian to curb traders’ cargoes earlier this week. Traders’ unsold cargoes are being prevented from clearing through Qingdao and Rizhao customs in the coastal province of Shandong. […]

TVA seeks 5.5mn st of coal through 2022

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is seeking up to 5.5mn short tons/yr (5mn metric tonnes/yr) of coal for delivery in 2020-22. The federal utility issued a request for proposals (RFP) for 2mn st/yr of bituminous coal to be delivered to various locations, including its Cumberland and Kingston plants, in 2020-21. It also is seeking up to […]

There’s Still Life in Coal

International coal prices have fallen sharply over recent months. The spot free on board (FOB) price of coal shipped from Australia’s Newcastle export terminal stood at $72.50/t on 13 June 2019, 40pc below a peak of $120/t reached in July 2018. By the end of last year 30 countries had joined the Powering Past Coal […]

Canada agrees to sell Ridley Terminals to US investors

The Canadian government has agreed to sell the majority of Ridley Terminals to a company owned by US investment firms Riverstone Holdings and AMCI Group. The government said today that it has agreed to sell 90pc of its share in the terminal to Riverstone-AMCI for C$350mn (US$268mn). The remaining 10pc will be transferred to a […]

US coal producers to rely more on exports: Moody’s

 US coal producers will rely more heavily on export markets in coming years as domestic demand from power generation continues to fall, Moody’s Investors Service said. The ratings agency expects coal demand from US utilities to erode significantly between 2020-2030, driving contraction in the industry and increasing producers’ reliance on exports. Planned coal-fired power plant […]

U.S., Canadian Coking Coal Exports Eye SE Asia

U.S. and Canadian coking coal exporters are eyeing emerging growth markets in southeast Asia with increasing interest, with some in early-stage discussions with buyers in Vietnam and Malaysia. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau does not show any coking coal going towards Vietnam or Malaysia historically. Canadian trade data show 497,408t of coking coal heading […]