February coal exports at 313,756 mt, down 60% on month
No thermal coal exported, first time since Feb 2015
Coal exports from the Ridley Terminal in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, totaled a two-year low 313,756 mt in February, down 60.6% from 797,171 mt in January and the lowest since 277,250 mt in January 2017, according to data from the Prince Rupert Port Authority.
The total, which combines metallurgical and thermal coal, was down 47.6% from the year-ago month and was the lowest shipped out in a month of February in three years.
However, the 1.11 million mt exported in the first two months of the year are the most since 1.3 million mt was exported in January and February 2014.
Met coal exports from the terminal was at a four-month low 313,756 mt in February, down 42.1% from January and 27.6% lower than the year-ago month.
Since January 1, met exports are at 856,074 mt, up 7.4% from a year ago and the most since 1.2 million mt in February 2014.
No thermal coal was exported in February, compared with 254,843 mt in January and 165,186 mt in the year-ago month. It was the first time without any thermal exports in a month since February 2015.
Year-to-date thermal exports are now 0.4% lower than the 255,813 mt exported in the first two months of 2018.
The terminal, the closest major North American coal export terminal to Asia, is served by Canadian National railroad. The largest customer is Conuma Coal Resources, a met coal producer in British Columbia.
