The United States has renewed vigor on the international market

摘要

Prior to 2008, pundits were forecasting that the United States would be a marginal player on the international export market, a grandfather figure snoozing away who would only wake up and participate in the market occasionally as a "swing supplier." Contrast that to Xcoal CEO Ernie Thrasher's proclamation that the United States is experiencing a tremendous shift in trading patterns for U.S. coal. "Today, four of the top 10 consumers of U.S. coal are in Asia," Thrasher told those in attendance at the World Met Coke Summit. "Three years ago you would have zero." Along the same lines, CONSOL Energy said that "2010 is the first year in the company's nearly 150-year history that it is selling coal to customers on four continents."