Australian Iron Ore and Coal Exports Diverge in October

Coal, Iron Ore

Australian iron ore exports climbed 7.6 Mt year-on-year to 79.6 Mt (wet basis) in October, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reveal. Annual growth in seven out of ten months boosted January-October loadings to 758.3 Mt (+36.8 Mt).

By contrast, the country’s coking coal exports fell to a five-month low of 13.6 Mt in October (-0.4 Mt year-on-year). Shipments have posted annual declines in each month since March, with loadings in the first ten months of 2020 down 10.6 Mt to 141.7 Mt.

Australian steam coal shipments (including anthracite) dropped 1.5 Mt on the year to 17.2 Mt in October, although up from 14.9 Mt in September. Year to date exports decreased 8.7 Mt to 166.6 Mt.