Cement News tagged: Freight Markets
Sharjah Cement Factory signs MoU with Etihad Rail
UAE’s Sharjah Cement Factory has signed a memorandum of understanding with Etihad Rail which will enable the cement producer to transport more than 5Mta of cement and raw materials, more than half the company’s current logistic requirements. The agreement will offer Sharjah a freight solution that will reduce transport costs and improve efficiency by allowing the use of a mode of transport ...
India’s cement transport by rail falls 11.8 per cent
A rise in freight charges has seen a drop in cement volumes carried by Indian Railways. In August, cement volumes carried by rail fell 11.8 per cent YoY to 7.52Mt as rail fares saw an increase of as much as 24 per cent. The Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA) said the decline was prompted partly by the rise in freight rates, although the general decline in the cement market also contrib...
Atlantic basin rates fall but Capesize provides positive note
After hitting a new record low for the year at 661 on 12 September, the Baltic Dry Index edge up again to 772 one week later. Dahlman Rose attributes the increase to “modestly higher” Capesize rates. "Considering the downwards pressure currently in Chinese steel prices, we do not expect a significant boost to rates in the near term," Dahlman Rose strategists Omar M Nokta and Damien Fortune sa...
End of holidays provides varied freight pricing
The end of the holiday season in various parts of the world provided the freight market with a varied mix of price trends. In the Handysize market prices appeared to be stabilising somewhat in both basins but with Pacific rates recovering slightly faster. RV Atlantic contracts rose from US$7700/day on 22 August to US$7900/day a week later but then lost modest ground to US$7825/day, a...
Dry bulk rates continue summer slip
The past fortnight has seen handysize and panamax rates decline considerably and the BDI is edging down towards a new low.
Shipping rates soften across the board
With summer activity on the low side, shipping rates generally softened for Handysize, Panamax and Capes, both in the Atlantic and Pacific basins. With a more or less inactive Atlantic market, prices for charters were significantly more affected in the western hemisphere, noting rate decrease of up to a third. The Pacific held up better with declines ranging in the 6-16 per cent bracket. ...
Handy and capesize markets soften while panamax continues climb
The Baltic Dry Index reflected the trends in the handy and capesize markets as it rose from 1103 to 1146 on 11 July, but then slipped to 1074 one week later. After a stable week ended 11 July, the handysize market experienced a softening the following week, particularly in the Atlantic Basin where day rates fell from US$16,600 to US$15,447 for the RV Atlantic contract on 18 July. The Pacif...
Freight rates firm up after initial dip
Selected freight market trends 20.06-04.07.2012 The Pacific Handysize market has seen increased activity over the past fortnight with Pacific RV prices firming from US$4900/day on 13 June to US$8850/day on 4 July. TCT Cont/Far East rates rose from US$19,600/day to US$24,150/day. Atlantic RV rates stabilised at a slightly higher level of US$16,750/day. In the Panamax segment, pr...
Panamax picks up
Handysize rates cooled in both the Atlantic and Pacific basins. RV Atlantic rates fell from US$15,320/day on 30 May to US$15,000 a fortnight later. The slip in the Pacific market was even more marked as RV Pacific rates fell from US$6230 to US$4900/day over the period. However, the TCT Cont/Far East contract provided some good news as it edged upward from US$19,200 to US$19,600. After its r...
Holidays make for cool start to the past week
Rates in the Atlantic generally fell in the larger vessel sizes but Handysize charters firmed during the past fortnight. In the Pacific, a similar trend was noted although the Handysize segment delivered a mixed performance. Holidays, reduced activity in China and new vessels leaving shipyards all combined to subdue freight rates.
Panamax registers record high for the year, but rest remains mixed
The Baltic Dry Index remained virtually flat since 25 April, climbing from 1137 to 1156 on 9 May, but then falling back to 1137 one week later. The Capesize market noted little movement this week with prices between Richards Bay and Rotterdam largely stable at US$8.30/t between 25 April and 16 May, only peaking at US$8.40/t last week. Fearnleys reported that the Atlantic bubble burs...
Easter makes for quiet markets
With most of Europe away for the Easter holidays, the freight markets were in for a quiet week. The Baltic Dry Index gained 18 points WoW, reaching 944 on 11 April and in the run-up to 17 April, it climbed to its highest level since January, rising to 989. "While we continue to expect dry bulk rate volatility, we continue to expect the oversupply of tonnage to keep rates in check through the m...
Smaller vessels lead recovery
Although low rates were persisting in the capesize market, higher rates for smaller vessels and an improving Atlantic basin environment pushed up the Baltic Exchange’s main sea freight index by six points or 0.67% to 908 on Friday, 23 March and further to 922 points by Wednesday, 28 March. "The BDI has been slowly climbing higher over the past two months, but even 2000 points seems like a moun...
Freight market remains subdued
After hitting a 25-year low of 647 on 3 February, the Baltic Dry Index (BDI) slowly recovered somewhat but in the past week or so the index has been bumping along the bottom. On 22 February 2012, the Baltic Dry Index (BDI) fell to 704 from 731 a week earlier on the back of sharply lower panamax rates. This year to date, the BDI is down 59% and lower global steel production and a bearish outloo...
Ethiopia to sign port agreement with Djibouti to aid coal imports
Ethiopia and Djibouti to sign port agreement to help Ethiopia’s cement plants receive South African coal.
Markets drift downwards in July’s seasonal lull
A generally downward trend in rates for much of July throughout all sizes with the Bulk Dry Index being particularly affected by rate declines in the larger Capesize units