Capesize (Atlantic and Pacific)
Another week characterized by improving rates in all basins, some signs of slowdown were registered towards the end of the week. The standard W Australia‐Qingdao was very active with all the miners seeking tonnage and freight rates agreed reached a peak of $7.25/mt basis very end of November dates around $19,000/d time charter equivalent. The Saldanha Bay/Qingdao route followed the same trend and a fixture at high $11's/mt was reported basis early December dates. Also the activity from Brazil was good with Vale taking some ships at the end of the week in the region of low $13's/mt for second half of December dates.
In Atlantic the lack of prompt vessels forced charterers to agree higher rates especially for TransAtlantic trades as the majority of owners preferred to fix ships to F East in order to maximize the longer duration; therefore $10/mt was agreed at the end of the week on Bolivar‐Rotterdam basis mid‐December dates, around a strong $26/27,000/d, whilst the fronthaul stood at low $30,000/d. Some activity was registered for period with some vessels fixed for 1 year at index linked basis and a modern Cape with dely China end of November agreed $12,000/d for 4/6 months.
Panamax (Atlantic and Pacific)
Stronger market levels were seen throughout the week with a reduction in fixing activity towards the end due to charterers attempt to cool down the market and owners on the other hand holding their levels. In continent a 75,000 dwt was reported fixed at $18,000 basis dely Ijmuiden for a trip via Murmansk to Jorf Lasfar and a 80,000 dwt fixed at $17,500/d for one trip via USEC to Gibraltar/Skaw redely. USG was still strong with a 80,000 dwt reported fixed at $13,000/d + 500,000 bb for a trip to F East basis dely aps; trip to Continent was fixed at $14,000/d + 400,000 bb on a 77,000 dwt basis dely Mobile. A 75,000 dwt was reported fixed for 4/6 months period at $13,000/d basis delivery Gibraltar and redely Skaw/Passero.
In ECSAm a Kamsarmax was fixed on a Fronthaul trip at $9,500/d + 450,000 bb basis dely passing COGH and a similar unit managed to achieve around $10,250/d for 4/6 months basis India dely and first leg loading in ECSAm. From this area on trips to Continent a 75,000 dwt was reported fixed at $12,000/d + 230,000 bb basis dely aps. In F East, NoPac RV was reported fixed at $10,000/d basis dely S Korea on a 82,000 dwt and a similar unit fixed around $8,750/d basis dely CJK for trip via EC Australia and redely India. Daily levels around $10,000/d were also reported on a 77,000 dwt that was fixed for a trip to India basis Taiwan delivery via Indonesia. On the period front a 82,000 dwt fixed basis dely Zhoushan at $8,500/d for 4/6 months and a similar unit did $8,250/d for 6/9 months basis dely Chiwan; on the smaller size a 75,000 dwt was reported at $7,800/d for 4/7 months basis dely Vietnam.
Handy (Far East/Pacific)
Chartering activity was still slow and the number of Supramax and Ultramax units reported fixed remained small and spread between different spot trades even though time‐charter rates improved by a few hundred USD on coal shipments from Indonesia to India and China and for NoPac and Australia round voyages with other bulk commodities.
Handy (North Europe/Mediterranean)
Firmer rates were agreed on several Handysize fixtures concluded from N Europe to Med and from Baltic to Continent. Supramax rates were reported as improving from the area, but no fixtures were officially reported. Stronger rates were agreed for Supramax from Black Sea to F East and to N Europe; Handysize grain shipments from the area did not enjoy the same stronger trend. Good rates were still available for clinker shipments from W Med to W Africa.
Handy (USA/N.Atlantic/Lakes/S.America)
Charterers’ interest for Supramax from USG boomed throughout the week bringing the daily rates for TransAtlantic trades from around $13,000/d to $17/18,000/d; a similar trend was seen on fronthaul to Spore/Japan range for which rates kept climbing day after day and approaching the end of the week were around $ 21/22,000/d levels. As a consequence more and more owners started to decline trips to India creating big problems to some petcoke shippers involved in this trade. Better rates were seen for spot shipments out of S America, but the increase was not as strong from this area due to smaller demand. The Handysize market experienced a similar trend from both areas and show some proportionally better figures, especially on business loading ex S America.
Handy (Indian Ocean/South Africa)
Some activity carried on from this area where the firmer rates were still for spot enquiries loading ex S Africa from where an Ultramax was reported to Far East at $18,000/d; otherwise a few Supramax were fixed from India and MEG to Far East at levels in the $7/7,500/d range.
Banchero Costa and Co Spa
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