As the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) explains, the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge has disrupted shipping traffic from the Port of Baltimore, the second-largest coal exporting hub in the U.S., accounting for 28% of total coal exports in 2023.
The port’s annual coal exports typically total around 20 million short tons, reaching 28 million short tons in 2023 due to increased demand for U.S. coal in Asia. The interruption is expected to impact the growth of total U.S. coal exports in 2024, which was already projected to be slow at just 1%.
The Port of Baltimore has two full-service coal terminals: the Curtis Bay Coal Piers and the CONSOL Energy Baltimore Marine terminal, both served by major railroads. The port’s proximity to the northern Appalachia coal fields allows for the export of both steam coal, used for power generation, and metallurgical coal, used in steel production.
Steam coal exports averaged around 12 million short tons from 2019 to 2022 and surged to 19 million short tons in 2023, while metallurgical coal exports ranged from 6 to 10 million short tons during the same period.
India has been the largest recipient of U.S. steam coal shipped from Baltimore, followed by several European countries. Japan was the top recipient of metallurgical coal from Baltimore in 2023, followed by China and South Korea.
The port also imports a limited amount of refined petroleum products, including biodiesel, asphalt, and urea ammonium nitrate, with asphalt imports originating mainly from Canada and urea ammonium nitrate from Russia.
The port’s closure is expected to affect the import and export of these energy-related products, with alternative ports such as Hampton Roads having additional capacity to handle coal and other petroleum products.
