US fuel grade petcoke exports totaled 3.4 million mt in April, down 16% from the prior month and down 0.5% from the year-ago month, Census Bureau data showed.
The drop came a month after combined calcined and non-calcined petcoke exports had reached a more than six-year high. Several countries experienced double-digit drops in receiving US petcoke imports.
On a year-to-date basis, US fuel grade petcoke exports total 13.4 million mt, up 9.1% from the same period in 2016. The US is on an annualized pace to export 40.3 million mt in 2017, up 13% compared with 2016, the data show.
Mexico took delivery of the highest volume of US petcoke exports in April at 402,231 mt, but that was down 3.6% from March, but up 24% from the year-ago month. On a year-over-year basis, exports to Mexico are up 42%, according to the data.
India had the second highest volume of US petcoke imports at 398,569 mt, down 15% from March and down 53% from the year-ago month. On a year-to-date basis, Indian imports of US petcoke are down 26%.
Japan took delivery of 354,506 mt of US petcoke during the month, up 19% from March and up 43% from the year-ago month. On a year-to-date basis, US exports to Japan are up 13%.
Brazil took delivery of 271,863 mt of US petcoke, down 38% from March, but up 40% from the year-ago month and up 54% year-to-date.
China had the fifth highest volume of US petcoke imports at 205,091 mt, down 53% from March and down 50% from the year-ago month. The country's imports of US petcoke are up 37% year-to-date.
NEW ORLEANS LEADING PORT BY VOLUME
On the origination side, New Orleans had the highest volume of petcoke exports at 967,101 mt in April, up 0.3% from March and up 4.5% from the year-ago month. On a year-to-date basis, exports from New Orleans have totaled 3.8 million mt, up 11% year on year.
The ports of Houston and Galveston, Texas shipped 816,406 mt in April, down 32% from March and down 17% compared with the year-ago month. On a year-to-date basis, exports from Houston and Galveston have totaled 3.2 million mt, up 12% from the same period last year.
Petcoke exports from Port Arthur, Texas, totaled 581,837 mt in April, down 19% from March, but up 27% from the year-ago month. Port Arthur exports have totaled 2.3 million mt on a year-to-date basis, down 6.9% from the year-ago period.
Long Beach, California saw the fourth highest volume of US exports at 404,862 mt in April, down 16% from March, but up 2% from the year-ago month, and its exports are up 20% on a year-to-date basis.
