Australian coal deliveries via North Queensland terminals top one-year high in June

Combined coal throughput via the three Australian terminals under the management of North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation (NQBP) reached 13.29 million tonnes in June, the final month for its fiscal year of 2025-26. Last month's volume was just below the 13.3 million tonnes shipped in June 2025, marking the highest level over the past year. On a monthly basis, the June reading was higher by 13.7%.

Miners tend to rush to clear their port backlogs ahead of a new fiscal year, potentially leading to throughput increases around the period end, Mysteel Global notes. In June 2025 and 2024, coal shipments via the three terminals also marked the highest monthly levels for their corresponding fiscal years, according to NQBP data.

Last month, the North Queensland Export Terminal (NQXT) at the Abbot Point port, the most northerly of the three, saw 3.1 million tonnes of coal loaded for shipment, up 19% on month and 17% on year.

In the Hay Point port, coal throughput via the Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal (DBCT) climbed 24% on month to 6.05 million tonnes, marking the highest level since December last year. On a yearly basis, shipped volumes from the terminal last month were lower by 5.8%.

At the Hay Point Coal Terminal (HPCT), which is located in the same port as the DBCT, coal shipments reached 4.14 million tonnes last month, down 1.8% on month and 2.1% on year. Owned by Australian miner BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) and mainly responsible for the company's coal loading, fluctuations in the HPCT's throughput often reflect BMA's mining schedules, as reported.

Railways connect the three terminals to dozens of coal mines in the Bowen Basin, making them the primary conduits for Queensland coal to overseas markets, with most being coking coal, Mysteel Global notes.

In the past 2025-26 fiscal year, total coal throughputs via the three terminals reached 130.77 million tonnes, up 0.4% from the previous fiscal year of 2024-25. Over January-June this year, their combined throughputs stood at 62.73 million tonnes, up 3.8% from the same period in 2025, Mysteel Global calculated.

Written by Adrian Zhou, zhouwenhaoa@mysteel.com

Edited by Russ McCulloch, russ.mcculloch@mysteel.com