According to IHS McCloskey, Colombia steam coal exports to Asia reached 3.76 million tonnes in the first half this year up by 363% or 2.94 million tonnes from 810,000 tonnes shipped during H1 2011. This annualizes to 7.5 million tonnes from just 1.88 million tonnes exported to Asia last year.

Coal exports to China had phenomenal growth to 1.95 million tonnes during the first six months of the year, from just 170,000 tonnes in H1 2011. Deliveries to South Korea were 1.29 million tonnes, from 280,000 tonnes in the first six months of 2011. Exports to Europe during the same period were up 16% to 29 million tonnes. Deliveries to Turkey increased by 1.29 million tonnes to 3.39 million tonnes, while exports to Spain grew by 98% to 2.29 million tonnes from 1.16 million tonnes last year.

Shipments to the Netherlands reached 10 million tonnes and accounted for 34.5% of total exports to Europe. Meanwhile, exports to the Americas were 8.05 million tonnes down 1.89 million tonnes from 9.81 million tonnes. Most of the fall was due to reduced exports to the US, with just 2.45 million tonnes shipped there during the period from 3.8 million tonnes in 2011, a fall of 35.5% YoY.

Exports to Canada also fell, by 37.5% to 0.42 million tonnes from 0.67 million tonnes last year. Deliveries to Chile hit a record for the year so far at 2.47 million tonnes surpassing shipments to the US for the first time which were 2.45 million tonnes.

Source - dpcmagazine

(www.coalguru.com)