Apart from a few late-reported fixtures that emerged at the end of the week, little if any guidance is visible for the sliding freight market for Capesizes. Front haul trips have assumed the mantle of most bearish route at the moment with losses of some US$ 1,000 between Thursday and Friday taking the assessment under US$ 27,000 daily. It is difficult to measure rate levels with so few fixtures available, but suffice it to say that charterers are having a good 2019 so far.
The periodic return of Panamax activity, assisted by more Continental demand than in weeks past, still fails to shift the freight trend from its downward path. Shipowners are hoping against hope that the market’s overhang of available tonnage will finally be arrested, but as long as cargo demand can be held back, there is little likelihood of the same in the near term. Period chartering remains one highlight with upwards of US$ 10,750 daily rumoured as fixed for 5-8 months on a Kamsarmax with worldwide redel.
Atlantic delivery remains fraught for Handy bulk owners, though talk of high US$ 13,000s fixed from the Baltic to AG on Supramaxes has been encouraging for owners. Most new activity remains isolated within the eastern basin where Pacific round voyages have stabilized in the US$ 7,000s daily area, leaving most of the losses to the West. Indonesia rounds on Vietnam redelivery are said to have fixed APS terms at about US$ 7,000 daily on tonnage of 58,000 dwt.
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