Generic Hero BannerGeneric Hero Banner
Latest market news

Morocco relying more heavily on Russian coal

  • Market: Coal
  • 25/01/21

Morocco's reliance on Russian coal imports increased in the first 11 months of 2020, as receipts from other sources fell sharply.

Overall coal shipments to Morocco were flat on the year at 9.2mn t in January-November, but Russian deliveries accounted for 87pc of the total, up from 57pc a year earlier, as intake jumped by 54pc to 8mn t.

The increase in Russian receipts made up for a decline in deliveries from the US, which fell by more than two-thirds on the year to 816,000t, cutting the US' market share to just 9pc from 31pc.

Receipts from South Africa plummeted to 61,000t in January-November, with all of this arriving in June — just over a tenth of what was delivered in the first 11 months of 2019. This meant South African deliveries accounted for just 1pc of Moroccan imports in January-November, compared with 6pc in the same period a year earlier.

Imports from Colombia more than doubled on the year to 185,000t — the biggest annual total since 2016, but with just 4,000t delivered since July.

The overall trend in Moroccan imports since 2012 has been a shift from the US to Russia as the primary source. In January-November 2012, US material accounted for 80pc of Moroccan imports, with Russian receipts making up just 15pc (see chart). South Africa temporarily became the main provider in 2015, but otherwise it has been Russia or the US.

The shift has been driven by a change in Russian and US coal price spreads. In 2020, Argus' New Orleans 13,000 Btu GAR fob assessment held a discount of just $10.39/t on average to the Russian Black Sea fob assessment, down from $20.06/t in 2019 and $26.08/t in 2018. But so far in 2021, the spread has widened to $18.82/t, which could encourage a recovery in Moroccan demand for US coal.

Morocco Jan-Nov coal imports mn t

Sharelinkedin-sharetwitter-sharefacebook-shareemail-share

Related news posts

Argus illuminates the markets by putting a lens on the areas that matter most to you. The market news and commentary we publish reveals vital insights that enable you to make stronger, well-informed decisions. Explore a selection of news stories related to this one.

News
29/01/25

Australia’s BCC on track to meet coal sales target

Australia’s BCC on track to meet coal sales target

Sydney, 29 January (Argus) — Australian coal producer Bowen Coking Coal (BCC) is on track to meet its 1.6mn-1.9mn t sales guidance for the year to June 30, but low stockpiles and rail and port access could hinder the target. The Queensland coal producer managed record sales of 544,000t of coal in October-December , but cut its stockpiles to 127,000t on 31 December from 172,000t on 30 September. These stockpiles were the lowest end-of-quarter levels since BCC started producing in late 2022, and might need to be rebuilt in January-June, weighing on sales. Sales could also be impacted by increased vessel arrivals at Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal, which BCC ships through, and increased wet weather forecast for February-April . BCC is negotiating to secure more port and rail capacity, although it has met its "near-term" requirements. The firm's managed production ran at a rate of about 3mn t/yr run of mine (ROM) in October-December, down from the 5mn t/yr ROM rate it targeted for 2024 in early 2023 , but at the top end of guidance of 2.7mn-3mn t/yr to 30 June. Wet weather in Queensland has seen the premium for top-grade coking coal decline relative to second-tier hard coking coal owing to lower availability, according to BCC. Argus last assessed the premium hard coking coal price at $185/t fob Australia on 27 January at a premium of $34.95/t to lower-grade hard coking coal. This premium is down from an average of $39.24/t for January and $37.52/t for October-December, but above the $24.59/t average in July-September. Non-premium hard coking coal prices fell to a $15/t premium to high-grade thermal coal in early September, before widening to nearly $40/t on 24 January. Thermal coal sales made up 42.5pc of BCC's sales in October-December, with the rest coking coal, up from 40pc in July-September. BCC has the option to swing some production between thermal and lower grades of coking coal but this takes time to implement. Argus last assessed the hard coking coal price at $151.05/t fob Australia on 27 January, down from $157.90/t on 30 December and at the lowest level since June 2021. Argus last assessed high-grade 6,000 kcal/kg NAR thermal coal at $113.85/t fob Newcastle on 24 January, down from $123.44/t on 27 December. By Jo Clarke Bowen Coking Coal (BCC) Oct-Dec '24 July-Sep '24 Oct-Dec '23 Jul-Dec '24 Jul-Dec '23 BCC managed production (kt) ROM 788.8 768.8 785.2 1,557.6 1,425.6 Saleable coal 482.4 443.5 478.7 925.9 1,023.8 BCC sales volumes (kt) Metallurgical coal 312.8 248.8 264.8 561.5 567.4 Thermal coal 231.1 166.0 238.4 397.1 492.4 Total 543.9 414.8 503.2 958.6 1,059.8 BCC's average realised price ($/t) Metallurgical coal 165.8 179.2 210.0 171.7 192.0 Thermal coal 88.5 93.4 100.3 138.1 144.7 Argus average prices ($/t fob Australia) Premium hard low-volatile coking coal 202.6 210.5 333.6 206.5 298.4 Hard coking coal 165.1 185.9 277.0 175.6 250.6 6,000 kcal/kg thermal coal 137.5 138.4 139.8 137.9 147.3 — BCC, Argus Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Find out more
News

Trump touts off-grid gas, coal for AI data centers


24/01/25
News
24/01/25

Trump touts off-grid gas, coal for AI data centers

New York, 24 January (Argus) — President Donald Trump said he plans to give developers "very rapid approvals" to build data centers running artificial intelligence (AI) software, as well as off-grid electric generating facilities to power them. "I'm going to give emergency declarations so they can start building them almost immediately," Trump told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in virtual remarks on Thursday. Allowing for a rapid increase in power generation capacity will enable the US to scale up its AI capabilities and be competitive with China, he said. Trump said he has been telling developers that he wants them to build electric generating facilities next to their planned data centers. These would bypass connection to the grid, which he said is "old" and unreliable. The developers will be able to fuel their generators with "anything they want," including natural gas, and could use "good, clean coal" as a back-up in case a gas pipeline were to explode, cutting gas supplies to a data center's off-grid gas power plant, he said. Trump's comments echo those made recently by executives in the oil and gas industry, who are betting that tech giants' desire to quickly build out data centers to develop their own AI software will force them to eschew the long, arduous interconnection process through which new customers connect to the grid, and instead secure their own personal supply of electricity generated by natural gas. ExxonMobil in December said it was in talks to provide AI data centers with "fully islanded" gas-fired power, which could be installed "independent of utility timelines" and at a pace that other baseload generation fuel sources, like nuclear, could not match. Alan Armstrong, chief executive of Williams, the largest US gas pipeline company, told Argus that AI data center operators are going to build in states where they can quickly secure off-grid electricity supplies. By Julian Hast Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

News

Port of Nola reopens after winter storm


24/01/25
News
24/01/25

Port of Nola reopens after winter storm

Houston, 24 January (Argus) — The port of New Orleans reopened today after a prolonged shut-down propelled by a heavy winter storm that swept through the US Gulf earlier this week. Nola and Ports America reopened today to begin working on the backlog of movement caused by the storm. The port had been officially closed since 19 January in anticipation of the wintry temperatures, heavy precipitation and winds. Several inches of snow fell across New Orleans beginning Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service, with freezing conditions lasting through Thursday. Both ship and barge loadings and unloadings were significantly delayed across terminals. Several shipping and barge companies announced force majeures before the storm but are expected to reopen within the next couple of days, subject to safety conditions. By Meghan Yoyotte Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

News

Major NOLA terminals closed for winter storm


21/01/25
News
21/01/25

Major NOLA terminals closed for winter storm

Houston, 21 January (Argus) — The port of New Orleans remains closed on Tuesday afternoon due to US Gulf coast snow storms, causing terminals to shut or declare force majeures. Port officials cut off water supplies to port facilities beginning 19 January because of freezing temperatures, significant snowfall and high winds forecast by the National Weather Service (NWS). Operations are expected to be down at least for the rest of today. Host's United Bulk Terminal location at Nola declared force majeure on 20 January because of an expected 3-6 inches of snowfall. The port of Lake Charles in Louisiana also closed on 20 January and the Sabine-Neches Waterway on the Texas-Louisiana border was closed on 21 January. Associated Terminals at Nola closed its doors early on 21 January due to the storm. The company said vessels will be discharged once weather conditions improve and personnel are able to return to the site, but did not give a specific date. Major barge line ARTco, the transportation arm of ADM, shut down operations as well and is anticipated to return to 22 January if weather permits. CGB Barge has also halted operations in New Orleans and is waiting for conditions to improve before resuming work. Arctic conditions are anticipated at the port through Thursday, according to the NWS. Travel will be hazardous due to the snow, ice and wind chill of up to 20mph. By Meghan Yoyotte Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

News

Trump to declare energy 'emergency': Update 2


21/01/25
News
21/01/25

Trump to declare energy 'emergency': Update 2

Updates with details throughout Washington, 20 January (Argus) — President Donald Trump today signed an executive order declaring a "national energy emergency" and said he plans to impose 25pc tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico on 1 February. Returning to the White House for a second term, Trump signed a series of executive orders on energy and trade that he said will restore "common sense" to US policy. His orders aim to expedite permitting of energy infrastructure, tackle inflation, roll back climate programs put in place under former president Joe Biden and pursue a "drill, baby, drill" energy policy. In declaring a national energy emergency, Trump's order contends the Biden administration left a "precariously inadequate and intermittent energy supply, and an increasingly unreliable grid" that required swift action. Trump also froze all federal regulations, placed a temporary hold on hiring non-military federal workers, rescinded 78 Biden executive actions and memoranda and began rolling back Biden's climate legacy. "I'm immediately withdrawing from the unfair, one-sided Paris climate accord rip-off," Trump said at a rally held after his second inaugural ceremony. Trump's declaration of an "energy emergency" could bolster the legal rationale for some of energy policies and plans to expedite permitting. Trump also said he plans to end the "Green New Deal" — a reference to climate programs enacted under Biden — and revoke an "electric vehicle mandate" he said is threatening the US auto manufacturing sector. Trump also vowed to begin an "overhaul" of the US trade system to protect domestic workers and reiterated his support for tariffs, which he sees as a way to raise government revenue and support domestic manufacturing. "Tariffs are going to make us rich as hell," Trump said. They are "going to bring our country's businesses back that left us". While Trump is reiterating his threat to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico, oil industry officials have warned such a move could disrupt the nearly 4mn b/d of crude the US imports from Canada. Trump stopped short of promised to erect tariffs on all US imports, saying: "We're not ready for that." On foreign policy, Trump said the US would "reclaim its rightful place" as the most powerful country in the world and reiterated plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. Trump also promised still-unspecified actions to take control of the US-built Panama Canal in response to what he says has been unfair treatment of US ships, a claim that Panamanian president Jose Raul Mulino has rejected. "We gave it to Panama, and we're taking it back," Trump said during his second inaugural address. Trump signed an order to ease drilling restrictions in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, while also prioritizing the development of the proposed 20mn t/yr Alaska LNG export terminal. Trump also said he wants to refill the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), which is at 55pc of its capacity with 394mn bl of crude in storage, "right to the top". Refilling the SPR would require the US Congress to appropriate $32bn at current prices, to offset the costs of canceling 100mn bl of upcoming mandatory crude sales and buying about 300mn bl of crude. Trump signed an order to rescind a series of climate-related orders Biden had issued, measures the new administration says places "undue burdens" on energy production. And he imposed a temporary moratorium on leasing acreage in federal waters for wind projects. "We're not going to do the wind thing," Trump said. That drew an outcry from offshore wind advocacy group Turn Forward, whose executive director Hillary Bright said an emergency should require unleashing "all necessary sources of American energy — including offshore wind". During his campaign, Trump promised to cut the price of energy by 50pc within 12 months of taking office. But with regular grade gasoline averaging close to $3/USG and Henry Hub natural gas prices less $4/mmBtu this month, such a dramatic cut in prices would be difficult to achieve without causing major disruptions to industry. Environmentalists and Democratic-led states are also preparing to file lawsuits challenging Trump's deregulatory actions, a strategy they used during his first term with mixed success. Trump was sworn in in a relatively small ceremony inside the US Capitol, after calling off a more traditional, outdoor inauguration because of temperatures that were hovering around 23° F. Among those in attendance was Telsa chief executive Elon Musk, who spent more than $250mn to help elect Trump and is chairing a cost-cutting advisory panel. After being sworn in, Trump formally nominated his cabinet members, leaving it up to the Republican-controlled US Senate to hold confirmation votes. Trump also named Republicans to lead 15 independent agencies. Trump named Mark Christie as chairman of the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Mark Uyeda as acting chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission; and Patrick Fuchs as chair of the US Surface Transportation Board. Caroline Pham became acting chairman of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission through a vote of its members. By Chris Knight Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Generic Hero Banner

Business intelligence reports

Get concise, trustworthy and unbiased analysis of the latest trends and developments in oil and energy markets. These reports are specially created for decision makers who don’t have time to track markets day-by-day, minute-by-minute.

Learn more