The Baltic Exchange, the world’s independent source of maritime market data, has issued its reports for the last week, 18-22 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 WS18, whilst 270,000mt to China is rated a further four points lower than last week at just below WS30 (which translates into a timecharter equivalent of -$800/day).
- In the Atlantic, rates for 260,000mt West Africa to China fell two points this week to WS31 (about $1,650 per day).
- For voyages of 270,000mt US Gulf to China the market dropped another $100k to just below $4.2m, which corresponds to daily earnings of about $8,000/day basis a round voyage.
-Suezmax
- In the 135,000mt Black Sea/Med market we saw rates climb five points to WS63 (a timecharter equivalent of about $1,400/day).
- The West African market saw the biggest increase where 130,000mt Nigeria/UK Continent rates to WS57.5 (about $7,000 per day), up almost 20 points week-on-week.
- In the Middle East, the market for 140,000mt Basrah/Med voyages rose 6.5 points to WS18.5.
-Aframax
- Rates for 80,000mt Ceyhan/Lavera were 2.5 points higher this week at WS72.5 level.
- In Northern Europe, rates for voyages of 80,000mt cross-North Sea dipped a point to WS77.5, while 100,000mt Baltic/UK-Continent saw a drop of three points to WS60 (about $2,500 per day).
- On the other side of the Atlantic, owners fared better than the previous week with rates for 70,000mt Carib to US Gulf recovering seven points to the high WS80s (about $4,100 per day) and in the 70,000mt US Gulf to UK Continent market rates firmed six points to low WS70s.
-Clean
- In the 35,000mt AG/East Africa trade, the start of the week saw rates read just down six points to WS165. They have continued to soften with the market now hovering at around WS160 level.
- In the 30,000mt cross-Mediterranean trade, owners again saw a firming market with weather delays contributing to a tighter position list. There was increased activity from East Med with WS160 done a couple of times from Greece – up from WS115 at the beginning of the week. WS185 is on subjects from Black Sea for early February loading.
Bulk carriers
-Capesize
- The market was not without plenty of activity as the Atlantic Basin continues to maintain a strong positive sentiment with the Transatlantic C8 sitting at $36,425 against the Transpacific C10 at $17,133.
- The West Australia to China C5 had a decline in value this week of 0.941 to settle at $7.873.
- The activity out of Brazil has been tense with a standoff between charterers and owners breaking now slightly to the downside. The Brazil to China C3 now trades at $19.245. Period activity has been ticking over at a healthy level as the strong case for this year continues to hold.
-Panamax
- In the North Atlantic, trades involving breaching INL and forcing ice commanded premium numbers. And with continued tonnage tightness in the north, rates held firm for large parts.
- Period activity included an 82,000-dwt delivery China for five to eight months at $14,000 and an 82,000-dwt delivery North China agreeing $13,500 for 12 months employment.
-Ultramax/Supramax
- A 58,000-dwt open China fixing at around $13,000 for six to nine months trading and an Ultramax size scrubber fitted fixing in the $14,000s.
- From the Atlantic, east coast South America remained active a 58,000-dwt covering a trip to Bangladesh at $15,000 plus $500,000.
- A 61,000-dwt open Japan fixing at $13,000 for a north Pacific round voyage and a 56,000-dwt open north China fixing a trip to south east Asia at $9,250.
-Handysize
- From east coast South America, a 34,000-dwt and a 38,000-dwt both delivery Santos were fixed for a trip to Morocco at $13,500 and $14,250 respectively.
- A 38,000-dwt open in the US Gulf was fixed for moving petcoke to the Mediterranean in the $17,000s after she was failed on subjects for a trip to Algeria at $17,500 early of the week.
- A 33,000-dwt delivery Japan was fixed for a NoPac grain trip to South Korea at $10,500.