US Brass Mill Imports Slip in March

US fuel grade petcoke exports totaled 4 million mt in March, up 27% from the prior month and up 29% compared with the year-ago month, US Census Bureau data showed.

It was the highest combined month for non-calcined and calcined petcoke exports since January 2011, when the total was 5.2 million mt, as exports to Brazil, China, Mexico and Turkey all experienced at least double-digit growth.

On a year-to-date basis, US fuel grade petcoke exports total 10.1 million mt, up 12.8% from the same period in 2016. The US is on an annualized pace to export 40.3 million mt in 2017, up 13.3% compared with 2016, the data show.

India took delivery of the highest volume of US petcoke exports in March at 467,709 mt, but that was down 22% from February and down 40.2% from the year-ago month. On a year-to-date basis, exports to India are down 13.4%, according to the data.

Brazil had the second highest volume of US petcoke imports at 439,359 mt, up 324% from February and up 698% from the year-ago month. On a year-to-date basis, Brazilian imports of US petcoke are up 60%.

China took delivery of 432,976 mt of US petcoke during the month, down 19% from February, but up 68% year on year and its imports are up 88% year-to-date.

Mexico took delivery of 417,266 mt of US petcoke, up 17% from February, up 129% from the year-ago month, and its imports are up 51% year-to-date.

Turkey had the fifth highest volume of US petcoke imports at 406,506 mt, and while that total was down 5% from February, it was up 103% from the year-ago month and the country's imports are up 17% year-to-date.