Baltic index falls to over 2-year low as larger vessel rates slide

Kitco Media
By Reuters
Published:
Updated:
Reuters
Feb 1 (Reuters) - The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk sea freight index fell to its lowest since June 2020, weighed by weaker demand for capesize and panamax vessels.
* The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels carrying dry bulk commodities, fell 13 points, or 1.9%, to 668 on Wednesday.
* The capesize index dropped 33 points, or about 6.2%, to its lowest in five months at 499.
* Average daily earnings for capesizes , which typically transport 150,000-tonne cargoes of coal and steel-making ingredient iron ore, decreased $274 to $4,137.
* Meanwhile, Chinese coking coal futures extended losses to hit their lowest in four weeks on Wednesday, as traders kept an eye on a batch of Australian coal cargoes expected to arrive soon in top steel producer China.
* The panamax index lost 23 points, or 2.2%, to 1,029, its lowest since June 17, 2020.
* Average daily earnings for panamax vessels , which usually carry coal or grain cargoes of about 60,000 tonnes to 70,000 tonnes, increased by $202 to $9,262.
* Among smaller vessels, the supramax index rose 10 points, or about 1.5%, to 680. (Reporting by Ananya Bajpai in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)

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