Coal export from the US have fell to a 8-month low total due to a sharp decline in coking coal shipments and a near week long disruption at the Port of Virginia caused by Hurricane Florence.
As per the data provided by US customs, coal exports was down 4% on the month to 11.51 MnT in Sep’18 compared with 12.01 MnT in Aug’18.
Exports, however, had kept its steady growth on the yearly basis like it had been maintaining in each of the first 9-months of CY18. Coal export in Sep’18 was 7% higher on the year from 10.78 MnT in Sep’17.
Total coal exports from the country as a result have increased 18% Y-o-Y to 109.37 MnT in the 9-month period (Jan’18-Sep’18) compared with 92.66 MnT in Jan’17-Sep’17 period.
A grade wise break-up of US coal exports indicates that the coking coal exports had fell to its lowest total for the CY18 in Sep’18 but were capped off by non-coking coal exports which in turn had attained its highest monthly total in Sep’18.
Moreover, it was the first time that exports of non-coking coal had exceeded coking coal exports for a particular month in CY18.
US non-coking coal exports had increased 30% M-o-M to 4.26 MnT, while coking coal exports from the country was down 28% on the month to 3.71 MnT in Sep’18.
Pet coke exports were almost stable on the month marked at 2.86 MnT in Sep’18 against 2.84 MnT in Aug’18.
| Grades | Sep’18 | Aug’18 | % Change |
| Non Coking Coal | 4.26 | 3.28 | 30% |
| Coking Coal | 3.71 | 5.15 | -28% |
| Pet Coke | 2.86 | 2.84 | 1% |
| Met Coke | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0% |
| Anthracite | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0% |
| Others | 0.62 | 0.68 | -9% |
| Grand Total | 11.51 | 12.01 | -4% |
Source: US customs
Quantity in MnT
Major Coal Importers:
India emerged as the largest coal importer of US coal in Sep’18 after Japanese coal sourcing had dropped to its lowest monthly total for the CY18.
Indian coal imports increased 38% M-o-M to 1.52 MnT in Sep’18 compared with 1.1 MnT in Aug’18, which was also 36% higher on the year from 1.12 MnT in Sep’17.
While Japanese coal imports had fell 37% M-o-M to 0.84 MnT in Sep’18 compared with 1.33 MnT in Aug’18, also down 34% on the year from 1.27 MnT in Sep’17.
Netherlands was the second-largest coal receiver with imports of 1.18 MnT in Sep’18, up 53% Y-o-Y from 0.77 MnT in Sep’17. The country had not sourced any coal in the previous month.
Brazil imported 0.89 MnT US coal to become the third-largest coal importer during the month. Canada, Mexico, South Korea and Turkey were among the other major coal importers during the month.
Source: US Customs | Quantity in MnT
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