Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Colombia, Latin America's leading coal producer, reported a sharp drop in exports after President Gustavo Petro's government banned sales to Israel, the main buyer of Colombian coal. In July, coal shipments fell by nearly half from the same month a year earlier. According to Colombia's National Administrative Department of Statistics , exports dropped 45.8% to $479.8 million, down from $885.8 million in July 2024. From January to July, coal exports totaled $2.85 billion, a 35.5%