Freight rates in Canada could tip met business to U.S. ledger

摘要

U.S. coal shippers who feel they are getting a raw deal on freight rates from the railroads aren't alone in their frustration. Their friends to the north are also paying a pretty penny for rail transportation, according to a U.S. Coal Review source. Apparently, rates for metallurgical coal movements from the Western Canadian region to steelmakers in the eastern part of the country and to U.S. consumers via the Great Lakes have skyrocketed. The source believes the inflated freight rates could lead to a loss of North American business for Elk Valley Coal and others. "The Canadians are starting to have an uphill battle holding onto that business," the source said. "It will be tough. I am hearing that people are paying huge freight rates to move coal east. One customer said the Canadian railroads make the U.S. railroads look like pansies. That's a pretty strong statement."