Feb 22 (Reuters) - The Baltic Exchange's main sea
freight index jumped to the highest in more than three
weeks on Wednesday, as rates for all vessel segments rose, led
by capesizes.
* The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize,
panamax and supramax shipping vessels, was up 80 points, or
13.5%, at 674, on its best day in over a year.
* The capesize index rose 28.7%, the highest
percentage gain in five months, or 87 points, to 390.
* Average daily earnings for capesizes , which
typically transport 150,000-tonne cargoes such as iron ore and
coal, were up $722 at $3,235.
* The panamax index was up 108 points, or 12.8%, at
951, posting its best day in two years.
* Average daily earnings for panamaxes , which
usually carry coal or grain cargoes of about 60,000 to 70,000
tonnes, gained $972 to $8,557.
* Elsewhere, Chicago wheat futures fell to a two-week low on
Wednesday as an Egyptian tender highlighted export competition
from the Black Sea region, tempering worries about war
disruption to Ukrainian supplies.
* Ukraine is seeking an extension of at least one year on
the Black Sea grain deal that would include the ports of
Mykolaiv, a senior Ukrainian official said. The agreement, which
allowed grain to be exported from three Ukrainian ports will
expire on March 18 unless an extension is agreed.
* In one year of Russian invasion of Ukraine, "dry bulk
exports from the Ukraine have dropped 77.8% compared to the same
period a year earlier, causing a decline in global dry bulk
volumes", wrote Filipe Gouveia, shipping analyst at BIMCO, in a
weekly note.
* The supramax index rose 65 points, or about 8.1%,
to 872, a seven-week high.
(Reporting by Harshit Verma in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi
Majumdar)
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