Small Handy
The small handy market remained relatively quiet overall, with balanced tonnage and cargo supply across most intra-Asia routes. Cargoes such as sugar, coal and fertilizers continued to move within Southeast Asia and toward South Asia, although freight levels remained competitive due to sufficient vessel availability. Scrap shipments into Bangladesh continued to provide steady employment for small vessels and supported overall market stability. In general, the small handy segment remained balanced, with stable activity on Bangladesh-bound routes while intra-Asia trades remained competitive.
Handysize
The Handysize market remained relatively subdued during the week, with a generally soft tone across most regions. The BHSI slipped to 749 points, while the 7TC average declined to around USD 13,491 per day. In the Continent and Mediterranean, activity remained largely unchanged with limited fresh cargo entering the market. Across the South Atlantic and U.S. Gulf, sentiment continued to weaken as both charterers and owners adjusted their rate expectations downward. In Asia, trading activity was somewhat slow, although slight tonnage tightening in the North Pacific was observed. However, overall rates remained steady amid uncertainty surrounding bunker prices. A 28,000 DWT vessel in the Pacific was reportedly offered at around USD 5,000 per day.
Supramax
The Atlantic market remained generally flat due to a shortage of fresh cargo from South America and West Africa. Ultramax vessels open Gibraltar were discussed around USD 17,000 per day for scrap shipments into the Mediterranean. A 58,000 DWT vessel open North Brazil was fixed at USD 14,500 per day plus a ballast bonus of USD 200,000 for a grain shipment into West Africa, while a Supramax vessel open Dakar was reportedly fixed at around USD 13,000 per day for a trip via West Africa to China.
In the Pacific, the market was mainly supported by NoPac activity, with Ultramax vessels achieving around USD 17,000 per day passing Busan. Limited fresh cargo from Australia kept the Asian market from rising further, and many owners preferred to remain in the spot market while waiting for improved rates. Continuous increases in bunker prices also slowed the Indonesia coal trade, with only a few shipments discussed around USD 11,000 per day for 55,000 DWT vessels from Taboneo to South China. Meanwhile, a 56,000 DWT vessel delivery Kohsichang prompt was fixed at USD 15,500 per day for a trip with redelivery Bangladesh.
In the Indian Ocean, geopolitical tensions around the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz continued to disrupt normal trading patterns, with several vessels forced to wait due to uncertainty over safe passage. A 58,000 DWT vessel was reportedly fixed at around USD 10,000 per day for a trip via Kandla to China. However, demand from South Africa provided some support to the market, with a 64,000 DWT vessel fixed at USD 18,500 per day plus a ballast bonus of USD 185,000 for a trip from Port Elizabeth to China
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