Small Handy
The Asian small-handy market displayed a two-tier pattern this week. Short-haul urea and fertilizer runs such as Butterworth–KSC and Yangon traded around the mid-to-high teens USD/mt amid stable yet competitive conditions with ample tonnage. In contrast, longer or niche cargoes such as 15,000 mt scrap from Japan to East Coast India fetched rates in the high 50s, driven by limited suitable vessels and firm South Asian demand. Localized routes like river-port to Kuching remained slightly stronger due to port constraints. Overall, the market held stable, with selective firmness on longer or specialized trades while coastal routes stayed flat.
Handysize
The Handysize market had a quiet week with limited activity. The BHSI closed at 810, while the 7TC average fell by $80 to $14,582. In the Continent–Mediterranean, activity was low, with a 38,000 DWT vessel reported fixed from North France to Morocco at around $16,000/day. The U.S. Gulf saw declining activity, while the South Atlantic held steady, including a 39,000 DWT vessel fixed for a coastal Argentina–South Brazil trip at about $18,000/day. In Asia, trading was sluggish, contributing to a softening regional sentiment, as vessels around 30,000 DWT fixed close to $9,000/day for intra-Pacific employment.
Supramax
The Supramax market softened slightly in the Atlantic this week. A 56,000 DWT ship open Brazil was fixed at $20,000/day for a grain trip to Turkey, while a 64,000 DWT unit in South Brazil concluded $17,000/day plus $600,000 ballast bonus for a voyage to China. In Asia, sentiment was flat with mixed activity: a 56,000 DWT at Weda fixed $13,000/day for nickel ore to China, a 57,000 DWT in Cam Pha took $17,500/day for Bangladesh, and a 61,000 DWT in Thailand earned $12,300/day for a short trip to Cambodia. A 58,000 DWT opening at CJK was fixed $12,000/day for steel to the Persian Gulf, while a 64,000 DWT in North China achieved $16,000/day for a NOPAC–Bangladesh trip. On the Indian Ocean–PG route, a 61,000 DWT in Malé fixed $16,000/day plus $160,000 BB for an RBCT–Bin Qasim trip. A 62,000 DWT in Fujairah earned $15,500/day for Bangladesh, and a 58,000 DWT on India’s east coast fetched about $9,500/day for ore to China, prompting many owners to ballast toward Singapore where rates stood near $13,500/day for China-bound employment.
Best regards,
