US exports are making a splash but US imports are barely a trickle

摘要

While the promise of burgeoning US coal exports continues to earn a lot of discussion - and rightfully so - one thing not garnering much consideration is the US import picture for 2011. There's probably good reason for that - unless you happen to be a Colombian coal producer who banks on decent sales into the US every year. "In Colombia, I think one of the underlying things to think about is I see this as an extremely dismal year for imports all across the board into the states," a source said. "I think it's a function of Illinois Basin coal sort of encroaching into the South as well as the fact natural gas still presents a bit of a ceiling."