June 7, 2019 - U.S. coal exports totaled 7.52 million mt in April, down 10.1% from March and down 25.3% from the year-ago month, according to U.S. Census data released Thursday.

The weaker year-on-year comparison was due to exceptionally high exports in April 2018, as East Coast terminals worked through a backlog of shipments caused by freezing weather earlier in the year.

Through April, U.S. coal exports total 30.4 million mt, down 12.6% from the same period last year.

Metallurgical coal exports in April totaled 4.2 million mt, down 15.2% from the prior month and down 21% from the year-ago month. Year-to-date met coal exports total 16.8 million mt, down 10.8% from the same period last year.

Top met coal export destinations in April were Brazil, at 662,659 mt compared with 680,299 mt in the year-ago month; Ukraine, at 643,355 mt compared with 500,053 mt; and the Netherlands, at 618,871 mt compared with 488,296 mt.

For the year, top met coal export destinations are Brazil, at 2.3 million mt compared with 2.7 million mt in the year-ago period; the Netherlands, at 2.2 million mt compared with 1.4 million mt; and Japan, at 1.99 million mt compared with 1.94 million mt.

Bituminous coal exports in April totaled 2.7 million mt, down 5.2% from March and down 31.7% from last year. Year-to-date bituminous coal exports total 11.6 million mt, down 13.8% from the same period last year.

Top bituminous coal export destinations in April were India, at 919,476 mt compared with 821,310 mt; the Netherlands, at 549,631 mt compared with 586,546 mt last year; and Japan, at 352,837 mt compared with 318,214 mt.

For the year to date, the top bituminous coal export destinations are India, at 3.6 million mt compared with 3.5 million mt in the year-ago period; the Netherlands, at 1.7 million mt compared with 1.6 million mt; and Japan, at 1.28 million mt compared with 1.14 million mt.

Subbituminous coal exports totaled 486,558 mt in April, down 1.7% from last month and down 25.3% from the year-ago month. Year-to-date subbituminous coal exports total 1.8 million mt, down 21.5% from last year.

The top importer of U.S. subbituminous coal in April was South Korea, at 270,156 mt compared with 467,236 mt last year; Mexico, at 155,742 mt compared with 181,570 mt last year; and Egypt, at 60,500 mt. Egypt did not import any subbituminous coal in the year-ago month.

For the year, the top subbituminous coal exports destinations are South Korea, at 960,806 mt compared with 1.4 million mt in the year-ago period; Mexico, at 627494 mt compared with 684,803 mt; and Egypt, at 115,500 mt compared with nothing last year.