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Date: 2025-08-24 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00029033

US COAL IMPACT OF TRUMP POLICY Tariff Edge: U.S. Coal Exports COLLAPSE — 94% Wiped Out in MASSIVE Crash PLAY YOUTUBE VIDEO Original article: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifVfAIP-HWU
U.S. Steel Exports COLLAPSE — 94% Wiped Out in MASSIVE Crash Tariff Edge Aug 15, 2025 11K subscribers ... 47,946 views ... 925 likes U.S. Steel Exports COLLAPSE — 94% Wiped Out in MASSIVE Crash U.S. steel-related coal exports just collapsed by a staggering 94%, wiping out billions in trade and sending shockwaves through an already struggling industry. Massive piles of unsold coal are choking warehouses, contracts are vanishing, and entire towns are bracing for shutdown. A $1.5 million docking fee on foreign ships triggered the chaos, but now the damage is spreading fast. How did America go from powering the world to watching its export empire crumble in silence? Stay up to date on U.S. tariffs and economic shifts and subscribe to our channel: / @tariffedgeyt Peter Burgess COMMENTARY Peter Burgess Transcript 0:00 US steel related coal exports just collapsed by a staggering 94% wiping out billions in trade and sending shock waves through an already struggling industry. Massive piles of unsold coal or choking warehouses. Contracts are vanishing and entire towns are bracing for shutdown. A $ 1.5 million docking fee on foreign ships triggered the chaos. But now the damage is spreading fast. How did America go from powering the world to watching its export empire crumble in silence? For years, coal was more than just fuel for the United States. It was a symbol of industrial power. American coal didn't just stay home. It traveled the world. It powered steel mills in Asia, kept factories humming in Europe, and helped cities grow far beyond US borders. It was the silent force behind countless skylines, roads, and railways. Even when the domestic use of coal started falling and cleaner energy began taking over, coal still had a second 1:01 life overseas. 1:03 As power plants at home shut down and 1:05 demand faded, US producers didn't panic. 1:09 They pivoted. They turned to the global 1:11 market, believing that as long as 1:14 foreign buyers still needed it, the coal 1:16 industry could survive. immediate thing 1:19 for you to do is hope that this revives 1:23 coal industry in your state. 1:26 And for a while, that strategy worked. 1:29 American coal companies ramped up 1:31 exports to countries like India, South 1:33 Korea, and parts of Europe, where coal 1:36 was still an essential part of steel 1:37 making and energy production. These 1:40 overseas markets were seen as the last 1:42 great hope. Exporting coal became the 1:45 backup plan, maybe even the only plan 1:47 for an industry that was already 1:49 shrinking at home. It was a way to keep 1:51 miners working, trains moving, and small 1:54 towns from disappearing. As long as 1:56 someone somewhere needed coal, the US 1:59 could keep mining it. But in early 2025, 2:03 the cracks started to show. What once 2:05 looked like a stable export pipeline 2:08 began to crumble. Shipments that had 2:10 been routine were delayed or cancelled. 2:12 Long-standing contracts began to fall 2:15 through. Buyers who once relied on US 2:18 coal began looking elsewhere, uncertain 2:20 if they could still count on timely 2:22 deliveries. The infrastructure, the 2:25 ports, railroads, shipping routes that 2:27 kept US coal flowing across the globe 2:30 suddenly became jammed with 2:32 complications. And just like that, the 2:34 industry's safety net began to tear. 2:38 Then came the real shock. Within just a 2:40 few months, US coal exports didn't just 2:43 decline, they collapsed, down by an 2:46 unbelievable 94%. The bottom fell out 2:49 almost overnight. 2:51 Trains that once carried coal to the 2:52 coast, stopped running. Terminals, once 2:55 buzzing with activity, grew silent, and 2:58 coal, the product itself, didn't 3:00 suddenly become worthless. It was still 3:03 the same high-grade fuel, still in 3:05 demand in parts of the world. The 3:07 problem wasn't the coal. It was the 3:09 policies, the politics, and the fallout 3:12 from Washington's decisions that had 3:14 nothing to do with miners or exporters. 3:17 50% tariff come September uh on goods 3:22 imported between a huge country that had 3:25 at some point hoped to secure a trade 3:28 deal with America. 3:29 Tariffs, port fees, and trade disputes 3:32 choked off the very ships that were 3:33 supposed to carry coal to buyers. The 3:36 global supply chain, already fragile, 3:39 buckled under the pressure. Countries 3:41 turned to cheaper, easier options. And 3:44 with no warning, the entire system 3:46 collapsed. The coal industry didn't lose 3:49 because it had nothing to sell. It lost 3:52 because it no longer had a clear way to 3:54 sell it. What was once seen as the 3:57 fallback plan turned into a dead end, 4:00 and the crash came faster than anyone 4:02 expected. 4:13 One of the most devastating hits to the 4:15 US coal export industry didn't come from 4:18 the market or the environment. It came 4:20 from a political decision that many 4:22 didn't see coming. In early 2025, the US 4:26 government introduced a steep new tariff 4:28 aimed at pressuring China during an 4:30 ongoing trade dispute. The move involved 4:33 slapping a massive docking fee up to 4:36 $1.5 million on every cargo ship built 4:39 in Chinese shipyards that docked at 4:41 American ports. On the surface, it was 4:44 framed as a bold strategic maneuver in a 4:46 larger geopolitical chess game. The 4:49 message was clear. The US was taking a 4:51 hard stance against economic dependence 4:53 on China. 5:03 But the impact of this policy extended 5:05 far beyond China. What Washington didn't 5:08 seem to fully grasp or chose to overlook 5:10 was the fact that the majority of global 5:12 cargo ships are built in China. These 5:15 ships aren't just moving electronics or 5:17 consumer goods. They're the lifeline of 5:19 US coal exports. They carry millions of 5:22 tons of coal from American ports to 5:24 buyers around the world, especially to 5:26 countries like India, South Korea, and 5:28 parts of Europe that still rely on coal 5:30 for steel making and industrial energy. 5:34 By targeting these ships with crushing 5:36 docking fees, the US unintentionally 5:38 crippled its own ability to get coal out 5:40 of the country. Ship owners responded 5:42 immediately. Faced with skyrocketing 5:45 costs, many simply refused to send their 5:47 vessels to US ports. Others rerouted to 5:50 countries where they could operate 5:51 without the financial burden. Some 5:54 canceled existing contracts altogether, 5:56 unwilling to absorb the added expenses 5:59 or navigate the growing uncertainty 6:00 around US trade logistics. 6:03 The global shipping system operates on 6:05 razor thin margins and tight schedules. 6:08 When a fee of that size gets added into 6:10 the equation, the math stops working for 6:12 most carriers. 6:14 15% tariff on US coals. actually worried 6:18 that the country could turn to other 6:20 countries to meet their energy needs. 6:23 As a result, the US coal export system 6:26 began to fall apart almost instantly. 6:28 Ports that once handled a steady stream 6:30 of coal shipments became eerily quiet. 6:33 Warehouses filled up with coal that 6:35 couldn't be moved. Terminal space became 6:38 scarce and rail deliveries were slowed 6:40 or halted because there was nowhere to 6:42 unload. The ripple effect moved fast 6:45 from docks to rail yards to mines. 6:48 Contracts that took months or even years 6:50 to negotiate were dissolved in a matter 6:52 of days. Exporters were left scrambling, 6:55 trying to find alternative routes or 6:57 carriers that either didn't use 6:59 Chinese-built ships or were willing to 7:01 eat the fee. Most weren't. This wasn't 7:04 just a logistics nightmare. It turned 7:06 into a full-blown trust crisis. Overseas 7:10 buyers started questioning whether US 7:12 coal could be delivered on time or at 7:14 all. Steel makers and energy providers 7:17 don't operate on hope. They operate on 7:19 certainty. When delivery timelines start 7:22 slipping and costs jump without warning, 7:24 it doesn't matter how good the coal is. 7:26 Buyers look for stability and the US 7:29 could no longer offer it. Suddenly, the 7:32 American coal industry, once seen as a 7:34 reliable supplier, was viewed as 7:36 unpredictable and risky. And that shift 7:39 in perception is perhaps the most 7:40 dangerous part. Once trust is broken in 7:43 global trade, it's incredibly hard to 7:45 rebuild. Buyers started locking in 7:48 contracts with competitors like 7:49 Australia and Indonesia, who offered 7:52 cheaper, faster, and more consistent 7:54 shipping options. These weren't just 7:56 temporary changes. They were long-term 7:58 shifts that could push the US out of the 8:00 market entirely. What was meant to be a 8:03 punch at China ended up being a punch to 8:05 the gut of America's own coal exporters. 8:08 And with every canceled shipment and 8:10 rerouted vessel, the industry edged 8:12 closer to collapse. Not because it 8:15 lacked supply, but because it lost the 8:17 ability to deliver. Across coal 8:19 terminals in the United States, 8:21 mountains of black rock are stacking up 8:23 with nowhere to go. Exporters are in 8:25 full-blown panic mode. What was supposed 8:28 to be on ships weeks ago is now sitting 8:30 in storage yards untouched. The flow of 8:33 coal has come to a near standstill and 8:35 the clock is ticking. Exporters are 8:38 warning that if this situation doesn't 8:39 change in the next 60 days, they'll have 8:42 no choice but to shut down operations 8:44 entirely. That's not an exaggeration. 8:47 That's how close they are to complete 8:48 collapse. The problem isn't the supply. 8:51 The coal is ready. It's mined, 8:53 processed, and sitting in piles waiting 8:55 for transport. The problem is everything 8:57 else. The ships aren't coming. The 8:59 buyers are cancelling. And the system 9:01 that once moved coal around the globe is 9:03 frozen. When Washington added that $1.5 9:06 million tariff on China built cargo 9:09 ships, it triggered a chain reaction. 9:12 Shipping companies didn't want to pay 9:13 the penalty. Many backed out of their 9:16 agreements. Some abandoned US ports 9:18 entirely. And with no one to carry the 9:21 product, deals started to fall apart one 9:23 after another. Contracts that took 9:26 months to secure vanished in days. 9:28 Foreign buyers who depended on US coal 9:31 began to walk away. Not because they 9:33 didn't need the coal, but because the 9:35 logistics had become too unpredictable. 9:37 These buyers need stability, and the US 9:40 couldn't offer it anymore. That's when 9:42 the panic really started to spread. 9:44 Exporters weren't just losing business, 9:47 they were losing trust. And once trust 9:49 disappears in global trade, it rarely 9:52 comes back quickly. This isn't just a 9:54 setback. It's a financial disaster. The 9:58 US coal export industry used to bring in 10:00 over $130 billion in value. Now it's 10:04 bleeding from every direction. Storage 10:07 costs are rising. Rail lines are slowing 10:10 down. Ports are sitting empty and 10:13 workers are being sent home. Every ton 10:15 of coal sitting idle is money lost. And 10:18 for smaller exporters who don't have 10:20 deep reserves or long-term fallback 10:22 plans, this could be the end of the 10:24 road. 10:25 But the way the US president has 10:27 introduced his second term tariffs has 10:30 sent shock waves across the world. 10:34 When I first saw that sign, I wasn't 10:36 sure if it was real. 10:38 While US coal exports are stuck in 10:39 chaos, other countries are racing ahead. 10:42 And they're not looking back. Nations 10:44 like Australia and Indonesia have 10:46 stepped up in a big way. They're 10:47 exporting more coal than ever, and 10:49 buyers around the world are noticing. 10:51 Their operations are smoother, their 10:53 costs are lower, and most importantly, 10:55 their shipping systems are reliable. 10:58 That's giving them a major advantage at 10:59 a time when the US is struggling just to 11:01 get product out the door. Australia, for 11:04 example, has become a major supplier to 11:06 Asian markets. Their coal is landing in 11:09 places like India, South Korea, and 11:11 Japan. Countries that once bought 11:13 heavily from the US, but are now turning 11:15 elsewhere. It's not just because of 11:17 pricing. It's because Australian ports 11:20 are operating without drama. Their 11:22 shipping lanes are predictable. And 11:24 their government isn't introducing new 11:26 policies that scare off shipping 11:27 companies. In this business, consistency 11:31 is everything. And right now, the US 11:34 can't offer that. Indonesia is playing 11:36 the same game. They're pushing exports 11:39 hard and winning over buyers who are 11:41 tired of waiting on US shipments. Their 11:44 delivery times are faster. Their freight 11:46 costs are lower and they're not tangled 11:48 in political conflicts that drive up 11:50 expenses. 11:52 For a buyer looking to keep energy 11:54 supplies flowing smoothly, choosing 11:57 between stable and unstable isn't a hard 11:59 decision. And here's the real concern. 12:02 Once buyers switch, they don't usually 12:05 switch back. Trade relationships are 12:07 built on trust and performance. If a 12:10 company in India can get coal from 12:11 Indonesia without delays or price hikes, 12:14 why would they return to the US later? 12:17 These are long-term losses, not 12:19 temporary dips. Every lost customer 12:22 today is potentially a lost customer for 12:24 years. The US still produces high-grade 12:27 coal, no doubt. But in global markets, 12:30 the quality of the product isn't enough 12:32 anymore. Buyers want the full package. 12:36 clean transactions, stable logistics, 12:38 affordable delivery, and zero surprises. 12:42 Right now, the US isn't delivering on 12:44 any of those fronts. And the longer that 12:47 continues, the more ground gets lost. In 12:51 places like West Virginia, Kentucky, and 12:53 Montana, coal isn't just a job. It's the 12:56 backbone of entire communities. For 12:59 generations, people in these towns have 13:01 worked in the mines, driven the coal 13:03 trains, loaded the ships, and kept the 13:05 industry moving. It wasn't just how they 13:07 made a living. It was how they built 13:10 lives, raised families, and supported 13:12 their neighbors. Cole put food on the 13:15 table, sent kids to school, and kept 13:17 small town economies running. But now, 13:20 those same towns are slowly falling 13:22 apart, one family at a time. As coal 13:26 exports crash and shipping deals vanish, 13:28 the ripple effect is devastating. Miners 13:31 are being laid off in waves. Rail 13:34 workers who used to haul coal across 13:36 states are being told to stay home. At 13:38 the ports, staff who once loaded massive 13:41 export shipments are clocking out for 13:43 good. Truckers are seeing fewer 13:45 deliveries. Mechanics, electricians, 13:48 fuel station workers, they're all 13:50 feeling it. It's like someone pulled the 13:53 plug on the entire local economy and the 13:55 lights are flickering. The impact 13:57 doesn't stop at the job site. In these 14:00 small towns, every part of daily life is 14:02 connected to coal. When the mines slow 14:04 down, so do the diners where workers eat 14:06 lunch. The grocery stores see fewer 14:09 shoppers. Schools lose funding as 14:11 families move away. Hospitals face 14:14 budget cuts. Churches see fewer 14:16 donations. Even little league teams 14:18 struggle to stay afloat because local 14:20 sponsors can't afford to help anymore. 14:22 It's not just an industry that's 14:24 collapsing. It's an entire way of life. 14:27 For many in these regions, coal was the 14:29 only job in town. There aren't many 14:32 backup options. These aren't cities with 14:34 growing tech hubs or booming industries 14:37 to absorb the job losses. And moving 14:39 isn't easy when you've lived in the same 14:41 house for 30 years, when your parents 14:43 are next door and your kids are in 14:45 school. 14:47 Retraining programs sound great in 14:48 headlines, but on the ground they're 14:51 slow, underfunded, and not tailored to 14:53 people who've spent their lives 14:55 underground or operating heavy 14:56 machinery. If you're in the coal 14:58 industry right now, trying to make sense 15:00 of government policy probably feels like 15:02 trying to solve a puzzle with missing 15:04 pieces. 15:06 One day, leaders talk about bringing 15:08 coal back, about fighting for energy 15:10 independence and saving coal jobs. The 15:13 next day, those same leaders announce 15:15 tariffs, make decisions that hurt global 15:18 trade, or roll out climate policies that 15:20 tighten the squeeze on coal operations. 15:23 For many people watching from the 15:25 ground, it's hard to tell whether the 15:27 government is trying to help or quietly 15:30 walking coal toward the edge. The $ 1.5 15:33 million docking fee on China built cargo 15:36 ships is a perfect example. On paper, it 15:39 looked like a tough move against a 15:40 foreign competitor, but in practice, it 15:42 hurt American coal exporters more than 15:44 anyone. These ships were the ones moving 15:47 coal overseas. Once they pulled out, 15:50 contracts collapsed, buyers fled, and 15:53 the coal industry started bleeding out. 15:55 Exporters weren't even the target of the 15:57 policy. Yet, they took the hardest hit. 16:00 That's the kind of blind side that's 16:02 leaving the industry confused and 16:03 furious. 16:05 Investors are watching this chaos unfold 16:07 and backing away. For them, the energy 16:10 sector is already risky. Volatile 16:12 prices, shifting demand, and global 16:15 competition make it a tough space to bet 16:18 on. Add in political decisions that seem 16:20 to flip-flop every few months, and the 16:23 entire market becomes too unstable to 16:24 touch. Why would anyone put money into 16:27 expanding coal operations when the rules 16:29 might change again next quarter? 16:32 That uncertainty is killing momentum and 16:34 cutting off the flow of private capital 16:36 just when the industry needs it most. 16:39 And the workers, they're stuck in the 16:41 middle. They hear one message from a 16:43 podium and see a completely different 16:45 story unfold in their paychecks and 16:47 communities. They're told the government 16:50 has their back, but every action says 16:53 otherwise. It's not just frustrating, 16:55 it's demoralizing. 16:57 These are people who've done their jobs, 16:59 followed the rules, and kept the country 17:01 running. Now they're being hit with 17:03 layoffs while politicians argue over 17:05 trade and climate policy with no clear 17:07 plan forward. There was a time when coal 17:10 ruled America's energy grid. Just a few 17:12 decades ago, more than half of the 17:14 electricity in the US came from coal. It 17:17 powered homes, schools, factories, you 17:20 name it. If you turned on a light or 17:22 charged a phone, chances were it came 17:24 from coal fired power. But those days 17:27 are long gone. Fast forward to today and 17:30 coal's share has dropped to just 15%. 17:33 That's not a small dip. That's a 17:34 collapse. And it's not just happening 17:37 here. The entire world is shifting fast 17:40 toward cleaner, cheaper, and more 17:42 efficient energy sources. And coal, for 17:44 all its history, is struggling to find a 17:47 place in this new reality. 17:49 One of the biggest reasons behind this 17:51 shift is economics. Renewable energy 17:54 like wind and solar isn't just cleaner. 17:56 It's also become a lot more affordable. 17:59 Utility companies that once relied on 18:01 coal are now running the numbers and realizing that switching to renewables or natural gas saves them money in the long run. Wind turbines and solar panels require less maintenance. Natural gas burns cleaner and is often cheaper to transport. It's a win-win for both cost and climate. So more and more companies are making the switch and not looking back. Even industries that were once tightly tied to coal, like steel making, are changing direction. Steel production has always been one of the biggest consumers of coal because of the high heat and energy needed. But now cleaner technologies are entering the picture. Countries are investing in hydrogen-powered steel plants or electric arc furnaces, which use recycled metals and far less coal. Nations that once relied heavily on American coal are redesigning their infrastructure to reduce emissions and meet climate goals. And once those new systems are in place, they're not going back to the old ways. This shift is also 19:00 driven by public pressure. Around the world, people are demanding action on climate change. Governments are responding with policies to reduce carbon emissions. international agreements, carbon taxes, clean energy targets. They're all stacking up. And in the middle of that storm is coal carrying a heavier environmental burden than almost any other energy source. With every year that passes, it becomes harder for countries to justify using it when cleaner alternatives are not just available, but often cheaper. For US coal, this isn't just a market problem. It's a sign of a deeper transition. The industry is trying to hold on while the world is moving on. And without major innovation or support to pivot toward the future, coal is being left behind. This isn't about a bad quarter or a tough season. It's the end of an era. One where coal powered the world and now struggles to keep its foot in the door. So, what are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the 20:00 comments below.

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