Reuters Events: CSX fully resuming Baltimore coal exports this week, CEO says
By Lisa Baertlein
ATLANTA, May 22 (Reuters) -CSX CSX.O this week will return to normal coal export operations at the Port of Baltimore after work crews cleared part of the deep channel serving the second busiest U.S. trade hub for outgoing coal shipments, the railroad's CEO said on Wednesday.
CSX is scheduled to receive and load the first large ship at its Curtis Bay coal terminal on Saturday, Joe Hinrichs, CSX's CEO said at the Reuters Supply Chain conference in Atlanta.
"We're now starting to load trains at a regular pace" to support normalizing coal operations, Hinrichs said.
For the last 10 days, the railroad has been loading coal on small ships that used smaller channels at the port, the CEO added.
CSX also serves CONSOL Energy's CEIX.N Baltimore Marine coal terminal, along with rival Norfolk Southern NSC.N.
Baltimore accounted for 28% of coal exports in 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Earlier this week, work crews refloated and moved the Dali container ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, causing its collapse. The accident paralyzed trade at the port that specializes in coal, finished automobiles and other goods.
Hinrichs said CSX correctly estimated losses from the accident in April, when it forecast that the port closure could result in the railroad losing $25 million to $30 million per month in coal revenue.
Based on updated export data, success rerouting coal shipments to alternate ports and progress resuming trade via Baltimore, the EIA earlier this month revised its 2024 coal export forecast up from its preliminary outlook issued last month.
The May EIA forecast calls for 2024 coal exports to fall 1.1% versus 2023. In early April, the agency forecast a 5.3% decline.
The EIA's March outlook, issued before the bridge collapse, called for growth of about 1% this year.
Reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Atlanta; Editing by Bill Berkrot
Related Assets
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
