Although at the start of 2012 nobody can claim that the global seaborne trade has suddenly come to a halt, quite the contrary, it seems that the dry bulk market is reliving those dreadful late 2008 days. The lack of cargo demand, combined with the huge oversupply problems has caused the market to crash by almost 60% during January. The market’s benchmark, the BDI (Baltic Dry Index) kept falling yesterday, to end the session down by another 2.65% to just 662 points.

The only positive factor that one could argue, is the relative stabilization of the Capesize market, which lost just 0.07% yesterday to end at 1,446 points, way above the rest of the field. Panamaxes kept tumbling, this time by 4.14% to just 694 points, while Handysizes, which have been on the red for a few months now, have reached just 396 points (Baltic Handysize Index), losing an additional 2.46% yesterday.

According to the latest weekly report from shipbroker Fearnleys, “the Capesize market continues to be horrible. Rates and activity have not improved even after the Chinese have returned to work after the Lunar New Year holidays. Thus there is little to say in terms freight rate development except that it is flat. There is however an increased interest from short period takers, indicating a sentiment, that this market cannot fall much further, and that the premium payable for short period can easily be recovered if the market rebounds” said Fearnleys.

In a separate note, up to the end of last week, shipbroker Shiptrade & Services mentioned that “the Far East national holidays, the lack of cargoes combined with over supply of tonnage and the cyclones that returned in West Australia resulted in a very slow week in the cape market. Specifically, the average of the four T/C Routes closed the week at USD 5,566, the lowest level of the last eleven months. In spite the fact that with Columbia coal market produced some cargoes, rates for the T/A round concluded at around USD 5,000 and many owners preferred to keep their vessels drifting or at anchorage. The fronthaul was low as well with Tubarao/Quingdao fixing at USD 19,10 levels. Pacific was very quiet due to the holidays with Far East round voyage to be fixed at USD 7,000. Period activity was minimal with rate for 1 year remaining the same as last week’s said Shiptrade.

On the Panamax front, Fearnleys noted that “with the BPI at 694 we are now below the depressing market we experienced at the beginning of 2009. This week we did however see more fresh cargoes, but the tonnage list is just growing day by day. The grain season is about to kick off in Brazil and we see cargoes ready from 2nd half Feb onwards. The activity is still limited and the deals being done are being fixed at very low levels even below operating costs. This has resulted in some owners dropping anchor to wait until they see reasonable levels again. The Tarvs are now being fixed below USD 5k and the fronthauls are fetching around 14-15k depending on delivery. In the Pacific basin the rounds are being fixed around USD 5k. A one-year deal was reported this week with the mv Global Bonanza, 74kdwt/built ´11, being done basis delivery Feast at USD 10k daily” said Fearnleys.

Commenting on the Handy market, the shipbroker said that it was “another week of falling rates. In the US Gulf tonnage were fighting for the few fresh cargoes entering the market. Vessels fixed for Skaw-Passero direction were paid tick below 11k/day, and Continent positions concluded USD 2500 and USD 14k for US Gulf and Far East, respectively. The Pacific market remains quiet in spite of holidays getting over and overall sentiment remains negative. Indo-India fixed at around USD 5k dop south China and nickel cargoes also very less to support the market. Nopac cargoes are also less in numbers and mostly fixed on APS basis. A bit quiet on iron ore from India and rates remain at USD 8k from WCI and USD 7k from ECI. RBCT rounds are fixed on APS basis at USD 10k + 300k BB. Red Sea fertiliser cargoes fixed at low 20s to India. Short period activity very less and rates are around USD 8k” concluded Fearnleys.

In a separate note, Shiptrade mentioned that “ECSA continued its low cargo volume production with the TA round falling at USD 6,000 levels while Med and Continent kept on having many open vessels and very few firm cargoes. In spite the low levels owners preferred to keep their vessels in Atlantic instead of making the fronthaul trip.

Pacific was really slow and the Chinese and Indian holidays produced too many spot vessels and very low rates on the few orders that were fixed with the round voyage concluding at USD 4,000. Charterers persisted in searching for period tonnage but even more decreased levels of USD 7-8,000 were not appealing to owners who avoided committing their vessels said Shiptrade.
Source: Nikos Roussanoglou, Hellenic Shipping