Brokers have been surprised by the huge number of fixtures reported, detrimental to the market’s performance. The Continent appears steady for Handies. Scrap charterers took 30,000 dwt tonnage at US$11,000 daily to the East Med, grain charterers were rating 35,000 dwt tonnage at US$ 9,500 daily to cover Rouen/Algeria. A similar rate this size of vessel should be worth for a trip to the US Gulf.
The Black Sea remains dispiriting with grain charterers trying to undercut last-done fixtures. From West Africa, Chinese log charterers keep searching for logger types and even Supramax tonnage to carry logs to China at levels around US$ 12-13,000 daily for 36-38,000 dwt tonnage and around US$ 13-14,000 for Supramax tonnage, respectively. The ECSA trade region has been slow with coastal charterers trading a 34,000 dwt vessel at around US$ 9,500 daily for 2 laden legs. The US Gulf remains disappointing for Handysize owners whilst the larger sizes keep thriving, with a 52,000 dwt taken for an inter-Caribbean employment at US$ 13,750 daily, and a similar size was fixed to Japan at a very good US$ 19,000 daily. Another 57,000 dwt was taken for a trip to the Med at US$ 15,500 daily. Handysize tonnage has been offered at just below US$ 30/mt for a grain cargo to Pisco, Peru, which looks very high in comparison with a rate of US$ 26/mt that was indicated for a 30,000mt cargo from Montreal to WCCA, which according to shipbrokers equates to something around US$ 12,500 daily. South African brokers have been talking of a fairly quiet week with Supramax rates to India hovering at around US$ 12,250 daily plus US$ 235,000 BB. An Ultramax vessel was done to China at an APS rate of US$ 13,500 daily plus US$ 350,000 BB. An okay rate of US$ 11,750 daily was conceded to owners of a 57,000 dwt Dolphin type vessel for a Mombasa round voyage with delivery and redelivery Richards Bay. Just recently an Ultramax was taken for a trip to the US Gulf at US$ 10,500 daily. Handysize charterers, who have been actively fishing for Handysize rates for a trip to the East, were told about the rather punchy freight of US$ 14,000 daily by the owners of a 36,000 dwt vessel.
The East has been suspiciously quiet, which either means that charterers are taking a breather and plan to return to the market next week or that the market is changing direction. Salt charterers have been rating a high consumer 35,000 dwt at US$ 8,500 daily for an Australian round voyage with delivery Singapore.
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