Australia's pain could translate into the U.S.'s gain

摘要

While the outlook for imported coal may be flat this year, U.S. coal exports have certainly sprung to life. The U.S. exported 4.37 million tonnes of coal in April, up by 1.23 million tonnes over the same month in 2006, according to statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau. For January-April, U.S. exports total 14.4 million tonnes, up 1.64 million tonnes from the previous year. Current market indicators suggest this trend is likely to deepen in the second half of this year. Demand for metallurgical coal on the international market is extremely high. However, cargoes of Northern and Central Appalachian thermal coal, (generally 2.0 percent or higher in sulfur content) are increasingly finding their way to Europe.