Eastern US railroad CSX expects to haul slightly more coal for export 2024, despite recent disruptions caused by the collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore, Maryland. CSX expects “solid momentum” for export coal shipments and for its merchandise and intermodal businesses, the railroad said today. The carrier anticipates low- to mid-single digit volume and revenue growth in those business segments when compared with 2023. That is unchanged from what the company has previously projected. CSX did not provide specific volume projections. The 26 March collapse of the Key bridge ..read more

US thermal coal exports rose from year-earlier levels for a sixth month with gains in shipments to some countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America continuing to outpace declines in volumes heading to Europe. Roughly 4.2mn short tons (3.8mn metric tonnes) of steam and anthracite coal moved out of the US to international customers during the month, up from 3.87mn st a year earlier, preliminary data from the US Commerce Department show. Trade flows generally continued to shift away from Europe, where volumes headed to that continent fell from year earlier levels to 578,828st from 982,511st. Fran ..read more

Terminals in Hampton Roads, Virginia, may have some available capacity to take rerouted coal shipments from Baltimore, Maryland, despite increasing exports from a year earlier for the seventh consecutive month in February. Coal loadings at Hampton Roads reached an estimated 3.31mn short tons (st) (3mn metric tonnes) last month, rising 7.8pc from February 2023, according to the Virginia Maritime Association. Still, historic Hampton Roads export data going back to 1993 showed that combined shipments from the three terminals in the region peaked at 5.48mn st in April 2012, which is nearly 66pc hi ..read more

US thermal coal exports jumped in January to a three-month high, led by shipments headed to India, Morocco and South Korea soared. A total 4.47mn short tons (4.05mn metric tonnes) of steam coal and anthracite departed US ports in the first month of this year, up from 3.09mn st in the same month of 2023, preliminary data released by the US Commerce Department today show. The last time US thermal coal exports were higher was in October 2023. Shipments rose on the year prior to every continent except Europe, reflecting efforts in the back half of 2023 to find other buyers for US coal as a conflue ..read more

Throughout the year 2023, the United States experienced a significant and noteworthy surge in the exportation of thermal coal, registering a remarkable increase of 26.4%. The total volume of these thermal coal exports reached a substantial 44 million metric tons (mt), reflecting a transformative shift in the industry landscape. This surge in export activity played a pivotal role in establishing Baltimore as the preeminent port for thermal coal shipments, boasting an impressive export volume of 17.1 million mt. Other notable ports making substantial contributions to this sector included New Orl ..read more

Coal exports out of Hampton Roads, Virginia, rose to their highest level in more than five years in January despite headwinds in some markets. Terminals in Hampton Roads loaded an estimated 3.45mn short tons (3.13mn metric tonnes) in January, according to the Virginia Maritime Association. That was the highest volume since October 2018 and a 25pc increase from exports in January 2023. Coal export loadings out of Hampton Roads also were 4.9pc higher than in December 2023. The higher exports may have reflected steady metallurgical coal prices and demand in some countries. Demand for thermal coal ..read more

United States exporters of thermal coal earned more than $5 billion in 2023 as they shipped out more than 32.5 million metric tons of the high-polluting power fuel, data from ship-tracking firm Kpler shows. The thermal coal export earnings were the second-highest since 2017, following 2022’s $5.7 billion. The total volumes were the highest since 2018 and came as U.S. power producers cut the amount of coal used in electricity generation to the lowest this century, data from energy think tank Ember shows. The diverging trends between shrinking domestic coal use and robust coal exports open the U ..read more

HIGHLIGHTS Thermal coal exports to India more than double at 14.1 million mt Other top destinations are the Netherlands and South Korea Aggregate met and thermal exports are 17.7% higher than 2022 The US exported 44 million mt of thermal coal in 2023, up 26.4% from 2022, according to US Census Bureau data released Feb. 7. Baltimore was the top thermal coal loading port in 2023 at 17.1 million mt, followed by New Orleans at 9.8 million mt. Other top thermal coal loading ports in 2023 were Norfolk at 5.6 million mt; Seattle, 5.5 million mt; and Mobile, 2.7 million mt. FOB Baltimore 6,900 kcal/kg ..read more

US thermal coal exports rose from year-earlier levels for a fourth consecutive month in December, bringing the country’s international steam coal shipments for 2023 as a whole to their highest level in five years. Volumes during the month climbed to 4.27mn short tons (3.88mn metric tonnes) from 3.4mn st in December 2022, according to preliminary US Commerce Department data released today. For all of 2023, US thermal coal exports increased to 48.5mn st from 39.5mn st. The last time full-year shipments were higher was in 2018, when they totaled 56.2mn st. December shipments were supported by dea ..read more

In 2023, thermal coal exporters in the United States amassed over $5 billion in revenue, shipping out more than 32.5 million metric tons of this high-polluting power fuel. While these earnings represent the second-highest in the last six years, trailing behind the peak of $5.7 billion in 2022, the total volumes reached their zenith since 2018. This surge occurred simultaneously with a notable reduction in coal usage by U.S. power producers, marking the lowest levels witnessed this century. The intriguing dichotomy between the diminishing domestic coal consumption and the robust export figures ..read more