The Baltic Exchange, the world’s independent source of maritime market data, has issued its reports for the last week, 11-15 January 2021, to provide information of the tanker and bulk market performance. The information is used by shipbrokers, owners & operators, traders, financiers and charterers as a reliable and independent view of the dry and tanker markets.
Tankers
-VLCC
- In the Middle East 280,000mt to US Gulf via the Cape/Cape routing is assessed another point down at WS19.5.
- Meanwhile, 270,000mt to China is now rated five points lower than a week ago at just below WS35.
- In the Atlantic, rates for 260,000mt West Africa to China fell three points again to WS35 level although overnight reports detail a 2016 built vessel on subjects to Petroineos at WS33.
–Suezmax
- In the 135,000mt Black Sea/Med market we saw rates continue to hover around the WS58-59 level, while for 130,000mt Nigeria/UK Continent the market remained static at the WS38 mark.
- In the Middle East, the market for 140,000mt Basrah/Med voyages rose about a point to WS12-13 level.
-Aframax
- Rates for 80,000mt Ceyhan/Lavera were steady at around the WS70 level. In Northern Europe rates for voyages of 80,000mt cross-North Sea remained flat at WS80, while 100,000mt Baltic/UK-Continent saw an improvement of about four points to WS62.5-65 region.
- On the other side of the Atlantic, owners had a miserable week with rates for 70,000mt Carib to US Gulf falling 8 points to low WS80s.
- In the 70,000mt US Gulf to UK Continent market rates tumbled 10 points earlier in the week and remain there, for now, at WS65.
-Clean
- In the Middle East Gulf/Japan trade it has been an uneventful week with rates largely unchanged. The market for 75,000mt is still hovering in the low WS80s.
- In the Atlantic trade, the start of the week saw rates initially maintained at WS 110. However, with plenty of tonnage available, the market slipped to WS 105 level with lower reportedly done on tonnage with last cargo palm oil.
- In the 30,000mt cross-Mediterranean trade, owners enjoyed a better week with the market firming 17.5 points to WS102.5 region.
-Capesize
- Opening the second full week of the year at $21,131 the Capesize 5TC peaked mid-week at $26,489, before closing down to end the week at $23,989.
- The Transpacific C10 settled the week at $21,667, with the West Australia to China C5 dropping -.522 on Friday to $8.814.
- For most of the week the C10 was more in line with the Transatlantic C8, which currently stands at $29,475.
-Panamax
- Trans-Atlantic rounds topped the early part of the week in the low $17,000’s with robust Baltic demand impacting tonnage count off the continent. However, it had drifted by the end of the week to closer to mid $16,000’s.
- Similarly, in Asia, the NoPac and Australian round trips peaked in the low-mid $13,000’s on Wednesday.
- Period news included $13,500 getting agreed on a couple of occasions for 82,000-dwt types delivery Far East.
-Ultramax/Supramax
- The south Atlantic demand improved and an Ultramax was fixed for east coast South America to China in the low $15,000s, plus low $500,000 ballast bonus.
- A lack of prompt tonnage from the Continent saw rates improve from both there and the Mediterranean, with scraps runs to the east Mediterranean going in the $20,000s.
- From the Indian Ocean there was sustained support a 57,000-dwt fixing delivery east coast India redelivery China at $15,000.
-Handysize
- A 37,000-dwt open spot in north Spain was fixed for a trip with scrap cargoes to east Mediterranean at $11,000 in mid week. But as the week closed, a 34,000-dwt open Immingham mid January was fixed for a similar run at $13,000.
- In the Pacific, brokers saw more coal movement from CIS and steels from South Korea / China to Southeast Asia this week.
- Two 32,000-dwt open CJK and South Korea respectively were both fixed for a trip to Southeast Asia at $9,250. A 28,000-dwt open Japan, meanwhile, was booked for a similar run at $9,000 level.
