COLUMBOUS: Coal exports via Canada’s Ridley Terminals in British Columbia totaled 408,620 mt in March, up 41.5% from February but down 39.3% compared with the year-ago period, according to figures released this week by the Prince Rupert Port Authority.
Neither the terminal nor the port authority comment on the monthly figures, but exports have declined due to low seaborne pricing for both metallurgical and thermal coal.
In the first three months of 2015, coal exports from the terminal — which is the closest major North American coal export terminal to Asia — totaled 1.16 million mt, down 43.1% compared with the first quarter of 2014.
Met coal exports totaled 296,460 mt in March, up 40% from the prior month but down 48.8% year on year. So far in 2015, met coal exports totaled 822,921 mt, a year-on-year decline of 38.2%.