Global seaborne coal shipments fall for 3rd consecutive week

• Lower Australian, Indonesian exports drag down overall volumes
• Firm Asian met coal demand supports US, Canadian shipments

Global seaborne coal shipments fell for the third consecutive week, by 5.1% w-o-w to 16.26 million tonnes (mnt) in the week ended 22 May 2026, from 17.14 mnt a week earlier, according to BigMint data.

Lower exports from Australia, Indonesia, South Africa, and Colombia weighed on overall volumes amid subdued Asian buying, rail bottlenecks, and weaker Atlantic demand. Gains in US and Canadian shipments partly offset the decline, supported by firm met coal demand and steady logistics.

Country-wise trends

Port & shipper-wise trends

Pacific flows

• Australian shipments fell to 6.24 mnt. Newcastle (2.37 mnt), Gladstone (1.16 mnt) and Hay Point (1.12 mnt) led exports, while Japan (1.80 mnt), South Korea (0.97 mnt), and China (0.87 mnt) remained key destinations. BHP (1.12 mnt) and Glencore (1.11 mnt) were the leading shippers.
• Indonesian shipments declined to 5.98 mnt. Taboneo (1.09 mnt) remained the key loading hub, while China (1.50 mnt) and India (1.21 mnt) were the key importers.
• Canadian shipments rose to 0.70 mnt. Vancouver (0.28 mnt) and Roberts Bank (0.26 mnt) led exports, while South Korea (0.28 mnt) and Japan (0.15 mnt) remained key destinations. Elk Valley Resources (0.28 mnt) was the leading shipper.

Atlantic flows

• South African shipments edged down to 1.02 mnt. Richards Bay (1.02 mnt) remained the sole export hub, while India (0.35 mnt) and South Korea (0.18 mnt) were the key destinations.
• US shipments increased to 1.81 mnt. Baltimore (0.59 mnt) and Mobile (0.54 mnt) led exports, while the Netherlands (0.33 mnt) and India (0.32 mnt) emerged as the key destinations.
• Colombian shipments fell to 0.51 mnt. Puerto Bolivar (0.18 mnt) and Puerto Nuevo (0.12 mnt) led exports, while Cerrejon Mines (0.18 mnt) and Carbosan (0.16 mnt) supported supply. Brazil (0.12 mnt) remained the key destination.

Coal freights to India show mixed trends

Coal freights to India remained mixed w-o-w. Pacific Panamax sentiment softened amid weaker cargo enquiries and ample vessel availability, while Supramax rates held firm on steady cargo movement. Atlantic sentiment remained subdued due to limited spot activity despite support from met coal enquiries.

Outlook

Global coal exports are expected to remain mixed. Australian and Indonesian cargoes may stay under pressure from cautious Asian buying and competitive supply from other origins, while South African shipments could remain constrained by rail and throughput challenges. Firm Asian met coal demand is likely to continue supporting US and Canadian exports.