Colombia exported 7.67 million mt of thermal coal in May, rising 4% year on year and 14% from April's three-month low, data from Colombian shipping agent Deep Blue showed Monday.
The lump sum was shipped to Turkey in May at 1.72 million mt, climbing 4% on the year and 72% from April's eight-month low to the highest monthly volume since September 2016.
Exports to Spain jumped 53% on the year to 718,980 mt, which also compared with only 30,026 mt the previous month.
On the other hand, shipments of Colombian thermal coal to the Netherlands fell 34% on the year and 39% on the month to 664,757 mt, the lowest since April last year.
According to the data, 289,433 mt was shipped to South Korea in May, down 60% from April, while exports to India were at 330,376 mt, up from nothing the previous month.
Cerrejon's Puerto Bolivar terminal again shipped the largest volume of thermal coal in May at 41% of the total, or 3.11 million mt, which was up 4% on-year and 11% from April.
US-based producer Drummond's Puerto Drummond exported 2.88 million mt of thermal coal during the month, or 38% of the total volume. This was 13% higher on the year and 14% on the month.
Prodeco's Puerto Nuevo's exports fell 17% on the year in May to 1.34 million mt, although this was 21% higher than the previous month. Shipments from third-party port Carbosan-Sociedad Portuaria de Santa Marta were at 269,713 mt, increasing 61% year on year, but dropping 2% month on month.
The monthly average for Platts FOB Colombia 6,000 kcal/kg NAR thermal coal price in May was $67.95/mt, steady on the month.
The Deep Blue data showed that 293,895 mt of coking coal was exported in May, up from 137,290 mt a year ago and 47,951 mt in April.
