Coal exports from the Ridley Terminals Inc. in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, totaled 799,570 tonnes in July, up 12.9% from 707,925 tonnes in June and 13.2% from 706,639 tonnes in the year-ago month, according to data from the Prince Rupert Port Authority.
The total, which combines metallurgical and thermal coal, was the third highest for any month since 2014, behind only 982,516 tonnes in March and 833,584 tonnes in September 2017. It was also the most for any July since 964,358 tonnes were exported in July 2013.
The 4.81 million tonnes exported in the first seven months of the year was up 5.9% from the same period a year ago and was the most through July since 6.23 million tonnes were exported in 2013.
Metallurgical coal exports from the terminal were at 542,678 tonnes in July, up 132% from June and 84% higher than the year-ago month.
Since Jan. 1, metallurgical exports are at 3.14 million tonnes, down 5.5% from a year ago.
Thermal coal exports were at 256,892 tonnes in July, down from a 3.5-year high of 474,054 tonnes in June and 411,415 tonnes in the year-ago month. The 730,946-tonne total was the most exported in a two-month period since 732,854 tonnes were shipped out in September and October 2015.
Year-to-date thermal exports are now at 1.67 million tonnes, up 37% from the first seven months of 2018 and the most since 2.05 million tonnes in 2012.
Canadian National Railway Co. serves the Ridley Terminal, the closest major North American coal export terminal to Asia. The largest customer is Conuma Coal Resources Ltd., a metallurgical coal producer in British Columbia.
