The chartering market is looking still very promising. Even in the East demand for tonnage is intensifying. Off the Continent Ultra tonnage was bid US$ 24,000 daily for a trip via Baltic to Singapore-Japan range, which the owners turned down being the wrong direction. Handy tonnage of 35,000dwt was talked at US$ 18,500 daily for a trip to West Africa. From the Mediterranean a 30,000dwt was rumoured done from East Med to South Span in the low US$ 9,000 daily. Grain charterers were seeing US$ 21/mt for 25,000mt to Tunisia. Coal charterers quoting 45,000mt to South France at US$ 10/mt, based on a very slow discharge rate. Rates are moving upwards from West Africa where Supra tonnage is fixable at around US$ 21,000 daily for a trip to the East, whilst rates keep inching forward.
ECSA is also generating nice numbers for the owners, with Ultra tonnage rated by charterers at US$15,000 daily for a trip to Continent/Med versus owners’ rate of US$ 18-19,000 daily. Handies are doing very well, with a 37,000dwt fixed at US$ 17,000 daily for 3 months trading with delivery in South Brazil. Another 37,000dwt was bid US$ 13,000 daily for a trip from Plate to North Brazil. To cover a trip from Plate to Yemen can cost charterers dearly – roughly US$ 12,500-13,500 daily on a 31,000dwt ex West Africa.
Good news for the owners is also reported from the US Gulf where 34,000dwt was bid US$ 15,500 daily for a trip from EC Mexico via Mississippi River back to East Coast Mexico. A couple of orders have been quoted from South Africa without yet seeing numbers exchanged. But from Red Sea fertilizer charterers were aghast at the US$ 11,000 daily they were seeing on tonnage of 35,000dwt with dely WC India.
The East is getting short of early Handysize vessels. The owner of a 35,000dwt – after rejecting US$ 7,000 daily for a trip from EC India to China, which he thought should be worth US$ 8,500 daily, found a taker after all at this level for an Australian r/v .Ultra owners were seeing US$ 11,500 daily from CJK to India
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