WASHINGTON: US coal exports totaled 67.3 million mt, or 74.2 million st, in 2015, the lowest yearly total since 2009, when the country exported 53.6 million mt, or 59.1 million st, according to US Census data out Friday. The yearly total for 2015 was down 23.8% from 2014, when the US exports were 88.3 million mt, or 97.3 million st.
The decline was expected given the drop in seaborne coal prices. In the Atlantic, the benchmark CIF ARA price for thermal coal delivered into Europe dropped from $83.25/mt at the start of 2014 to $48.15/mt on the last day of 2015, a 42.2% decline. For metallurgical coal, the benchmark international price (FOB Australia) fell from $131.50/mt at the start of 2014 to $76.45/mt at the end of last year, a 41.9% drop.
US exports have historically been lower, but shot up in recent years as seaborne coal prices climbed. Between 2002 and 2009, US exports averaged 48.8 million mt annually, but averaged 91.3 million mt annually between 2010 and 2015.
For the year, US met coal exports totaled 41.7 million mt, or 46 million st, down 27% compared with 2014. The largest markets were Brazil, which imported 5.6 million mt, down 17% from 2014; the Netherlands, which imported 4 million mt, down 28.3% from 2014; and Canada, which imported 3.9 million mt, down 1.5% from 2014.
Bituminous coal exports in 2015 totaled 19.7 million mt, or 21.7 million st, down 27% from 2014. The largest markets were the Netherlands, which imported 7.7 million mt, up 35% from 2014; Mexico, which imported 2.6 million mt, down 1.1% from 2014; and India, which imported 2.2 million mt, up 118.2% from 2014.
Subbituminous coal exports totaled 4.7 million mt, or 5.2 million st, in 2015, down 19.7% from 2014. The largest markets were South Korea, which imported 2.9 million mt, down 15.3% from 2014; Japan, which imported 863,000 mt, up 72.1% from 2014; and Chile, which imported 461,000 mt, down 1.4% from 2014.
