Coal exports rise 19.3% on month at British Columbia's Trigon Terminals: port authority

Exports of thermal and metallurgical coal from Canada's Trigon Terminals climbed 19.3% from the previous month to 656,338 mt in September, Prince Rupert Port Authority data showed Oct. 24.

Through the first nine months of 2023, the British Columbia terminals exported 5.4 million mt of coal, which was 28.4% higher than the year-ago period. Compared with the year-ago month, Trigon Terminals coal exports were 17.7% lower. September coal exports were at an 8.9% deficit to the five-year average.

The FOB Vancouver 5,750 kcal/kg NAR netback dropped $1.35 on the session Oct. 24 at $116.95/mt, based on the Platts NEAT price at $134.68/mt less $17.75 Panamax shipping from Roberts Bank, Canada, to Japan. FOB Vancouver is a proxy for West Coast North American coals.

China was the top destination for Trigon Terminals coal shipments in September at 237,706 mt, S&P Global Commodities at Sea data showed Oct. 24. The Netherlands received the second-highest coal volume from the terminals at 169,825 mt. The third-highest volume of coal from the terminals was shipped to Japan at 151,224 mt.

The terminals exported 212,164 mt of thermal coal in September, which was more than twice the August amount. September thermal coal exports were 44.9% higher than the year-ago month. Through the first nine months, Trigon Terminals thermal coal exports totaled 1.4 million mt, down 11.9% from the year-ago term.

Metallurgical coal exports fell 4.7% on the month and 31.8% on the year to 444,174 mt in September, Port Authority data showed. From January through September, met coal exports totaled 4 million mt, which was 53.3% higher than the year-ago period.

Trigon Terminals petroleum coke exports plummeted to zero in September, compared with 191,255 mt in August. In September 2022, the terminals exported 102,223 mt of petcoke. For January through September, petcoke exports were 974,603 mt, down 3.3% from the 2022 period.

The terminals shipped 111,344 mt of wood pellets in September, down 3.3% on the month and 14% lower on the year. Through the first nine months, wood pellet shipments were 982,143 mt, down 90.5% from the 2022 term.