SA’S BULK export volumes fell 4.9% year on year (y/y) in August to 12.6-million tons after dropping 15.4% in July to 11.6-million tons and rising 6.2% in April to the second-highest monthly total of 16.2-million tons, data from the Transnet National Ports Authority showed on Monday.The record monthly tonnage of 16.4-million tons was achieved in January 2015.The July drop was due in part to the closure of the coal line between Mpumalanga and Richards Bay for annual maintenance from July 11 to July 24.On average, 230,000 tons a day is railed down the corridor, but export orders can be filled from the stockpile at Richards Bay Coal Terminal during maintenance.Maintenance is normally done in May, but it was shifted to July this year at the request of coal miners with overseas coal demand seasonally weak due to the Northern Hemisphere summer.The June and April y/y increases of 3.4% and 6.2% were the only two y/y rises in the first six months of 2016 after declines of 6.1%, 11.7%, 15.7% a...
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