buzz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There are endless coal trains headed to Vancouver
> BC for export.
>
> This chart says value of coal exports hit an all
> time high of $1.9 Billion in 2022... on Joe
> Biden's watch. He won't mess with trade with
> China.
>
> My guess is coal exports help balance trade with
> China:
> Empty coal cars / loaded containers east.
> Loaded coal cars / empty containers west.
>
> Chart, Coal Exports in $ Millions.
>

I was, of course, struck by your chart, and the massive upsurge in US coal exports after Putin's invasion of Ukraine, which as folks know are mostly going to Europe via Rotterdam, which was already a major importer of US export coal.

And of course, I was struck by your "assumption" that this export traffic was all somehow going to China (actually only 6% of US exports), and not say South Korea, or even India (as often as not via east coast ports), who are also major US coal importers in Asia. And, with all of the discussions on AP most rails know that closing the Port of Baltimore had a huge impact on US rail coal exports to Europe and to south Asia, via Suez.

US Coal Exports by Country of Destination

I have always found it humorous that failing to find out the actual facts, can so often, and so easily, seem to confound some people's preconceived "assumptions" about these sorts of things...

When people have to "assume" things, it usually means that they don't actually "know" things...