BNSF must haul 4.2mn st of Montana coal: STB

US rail regulators have ordered western US railroad BNSF to haul 4.2mn short tons of coal this year from producer Navajo Transitional Energy Company’s (NTEC) mine in Montana to a Canadian export terminal. The delivery of those 4.2mn st (3.8mn metric tonnes) must be spread equally throughout the year at a pace of 23 trains/month, […]

US thermal coal exports resume gains in May

US thermal coal exports resumed year-on-year increases in May despite flagging demand from buyers in Europe. Steam coal shipments climbed to just over 4mn short tons (3.63mn t) from 3.07mn st in May 2022, according to US Commerce Department data released on 6 July. This followed an 11pc decrease in exports in April. May’s year-on-year gain was […]

Hampton Roads coal exports rise again

Coal exports out of Hampton Roads, Virginia, rose from year-earlier levels for the sixth consecutive month in May as volumes from one of the region’s three coal terminals hit an 11-month high. Terminals at the port of Hampton Roads — one of the largest coal export ports in the US — handled an estimated 2.96mn […]

US west coast ports, union reach tentative deal

A union representing thousand of workers at US west coast ports has reached a tentative labor deal with port operators, which could resolve some slowdowns in the movement of goods in the region. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) reached a tentative agreement late yesterday for a six-year […]

Hampton Roads coal exports extend gains in April

Coal exports out of Hampton Roads, Virginia, rose from year-earlier levels for a fourth straight month in April. The three coal terminals in the region handled an estimated 2.71mn short tons (2.46mn metric tonnes) during the month, up from just under 2.5mn st in April 2022, the Virginia Maritime Association said. Shipments from Hampton Roads […]

Appalachian coal output climbed in 1Q

Appalachian coal production increased in the first quarter of 2023 to meet higher demand from seaborne coal markets. Northern and Central Appalachian coal mines produced a combined 38.9mn short tons (35.3mn metric tonnes) in the first quarter, up by 4.3pc from the same quarter in 2022, according to US Mine Safety and Health Administration data. […]

US coal exports, rail volumes at multi-year highs

US coal exports in March rose to the highest in more than four years, helping to boost first-quarter US shipments and volumes at eastern US railroads. US ports in March shipped 9.48mn short tons (8.6mn metric tonnes) of coal, up from 7.31mn st a year earlier and the most since October 2018, according to US […]

Hampton Roads coal exports extend year-on-year gains

Coal exports out of Hampton Roads, Virginia, rose from year-earlier levels for a fourth consecutive month in March. Terminals in the region handled 2.94mn short tons (2.67mn metric tonnes) of coal during the month, according to the Virginia Maritime Association. That was up from 2.89mn st in March 2022, when shipments were just starting to […]

U.S. coal exports remained relatively unchanged between 2021 and 2022

In 2022, 84.8 million short tons (MMst) of coal were exported from the United States, relatively unchanged from the 85.1 MMst exported in 2021. Steam coal accounted for 45% of all U.S. coal exports in 2022; metallurgical coal accounted for 55%. Steam coal, also known as thermal coal, is used by coal-fired power plants for […]