Commodities

by hellenicshippingnews… on 13 April 2025 at 9:00 pm

Capesize The Capesize market faced headwinds this week, with broader macroeconomic pressures, particularly escalating US-China tariff tensions, weighing heavily on sentiment. The BCI 5TC saw significant midweek drops before recovering slightly to close the week at $14,952, down from $16,728 at the start. In the Pacific, a longer tonnage list persisted, and although key miners …

by hellenicshippingnews… on 11 April 2025 at 9:00 pm

The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk sea freight prices rose slightly on Friday, even as the index marked its fourth straight weekly loss due to lower demand among panamax and supramax vessel segments amid a global trade war. The main index, which monitors rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, gained 5 points or 0.4%, …

by hellenicshippingnews… on 11 April 2025 at 9:00 pm

Iron ore futures flitted sideways on Friday, but were on track for a weekly loss, as escalating trade tensions between the United States and China – the world’s two largest economies – clouded the outlook on demand. The most-traded September iron ore contract on China’s Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) closed daytime trade 0.71% higher at …

by hellenicshippingnews… on 10 April 2025 at 9:00 pm

The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk sea freight index, which monitors rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, snapped a twelve-day losing streak on Thursday, buoyed by higher rates in the capesize vessel segment. The main index, which monitors rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, gained for the first time since March 25, adding …

by hellenicshippingnews… on 10 April 2025 at 9:00 pm

Iron ore futures rebounded on Thursday, as an escalating Sino-U.S. trade war lifted hopes of more aggressive stimulus measures from Beijing to counter the impact of the hefty tariffs. On Wednesday, top metals consumer China, in response to U.S. President Donald Trump hiking duties on Chinese goods to 104%, hiked the tariffs on U.S. imports …

by hellenicshippingnews… on 9 April 2025 at 9:00 pm

The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk sea freight index on Wednesday fell for the thirteenth straight session to a more than one-month low due to lower demand across vessels amid a global trade war. The main index, which monitors rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, dropped 83 points, or 6.2%, to 1,259, its lowest …

by hellenicshippingnews… on 9 April 2025 at 9:00 pm

Escalation of U.S.-China Trade Tensions: Implications for Dry Bulk Freight On April 4th, China announced a 34% tariff on all U.S. imports, a retaliatory response to recent U.S. protectionist trade measures, effective April 10th. This escalation in the trade dispute is set to have a direct impact on key U.S. dry bulk exports—particularly soybeans and …

by hellenicshippingnews… on 9 April 2025 at 9:00 pm

Grain and agro-industrial products ships will be unable to dock or leave Argentina’s Rosario agro-port hub on Thursday because of a CGT union strike against government policies, the head of the private port chamber CAPyM said. The CGT’s action, which brings together numerous unions in the country, will start at midnight on Thursday (0300 GMT), …

by hellenicshippingnews… on 9 April 2025 at 9:00 pm

China is set to receive about 3 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans in April-May, according to sources and shipping data, despite new higher tariffs on American products that are poised to choke off flows of China’s largest U.S. farm import item. Most of the cargoes were purchased by state stockpiler Sinograin, said four sources …

by hellenicshippingnews… on 9 April 2025 at 9:00 pm

Iron ore futures slid on Wednesday to their lowest levels in more than six months, as demand prospects were clouded by the escalation of a global trade war triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump’s broad tariffs. The most-traded September iron ore contract on China’s Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) ended daytime trade 2.68% lower at 689 …

by hellenicshippingnews… on 9 April 2025 at 10:00 am

Brazilian indigenous protesters have lifted a blockade of the Trans-Amazonian Highway, reopening a critical grain shipping route linking farmers to the Miritituba river port, traders association Abiove and a toll road operator said on Tuesday. Munduruku indigenous activists intermittently shut down the road, also known as the BR-230, beginning on March 25 to put pressure …

by hellenicshippingnews… on 8 April 2025 at 9:00 pm

The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk sea freight index, which tracks rates for vessels moving dry bulk commodities, slipped to an over four-week low on Tuesday due to lower demand across vessels amid persistent trade tensions. The main index, which monitors rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, shed 59 points or 4.21% to 1,342, …

by hellenicshippingnews… on 8 April 2025 at 9:00 pm

Iron ore futures fell for a third straight session on Tuesday as escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and top consumer China countered support from seasonal demand for the steelmaking ingredient during the peak construction period in April. The most-traded May iron ore contract on China’s Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) plunged 3.15% to finish at …

by hellenicshippingnews… on 7 April 2025 at 9:00 pm

The dry bulk shipping market hit pause in Q1 2025, grappling with sluggish activity due to seasonal holidays like the Lunar New Year across Asia and uncharacteristically poor weather. While market participants are hopeful for a rebound in dry bulk shipping rates in Q2 2025, caution prevails as geopolitical and tariff tensions along with unpredictable …

by hellenicshippingnews… on 7 April 2025 at 9:00 pm

The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk sea freight index extended declines to a one-month low on Monday, as rates across various vessel segments declined amid fears of recession following latest tariff actions. The main index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, dropped to its lowest point since March 7, at 1,401. …

by hellenicshippingnews… on 7 April 2025 at 9:00 pm

Iron ore futures prices sank on Monday, dragged by tit-for-tat tariffs between the U.S. and top consumer China that have widened a global trade war. The most-traded May iron ore contract on China’s Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) ended daytime trade 3.36% lower at 762.5 yuan ($104.31) a metric ton. Earlier in the session, prices fell …

by hellenicshippingnews… on 7 April 2025 at 10:00 am

BIMCO expects to take a hit from China’s response to the US earlier slap of new tariffs. Chief Shipping Analyst, Niels Rasmussen, on the 34% tariffs on US goods announced by China on Friday: “On Friday, China announced a tariff increase of 34% on all US imports, in retaliation to the new tariffs announced by …

by hellenicshippingnews… on 7 April 2025 at 10:00 am

Coal traders could become rare winners among businesses reeling from U.S. President Donald Trump’s drastic new tariff regime that adds at least 10% to the cost of nearly all goods imported into the United States. That is because energy providers across Asia – which has been hit with some of the highest new U.S. tariffs …

by hellenicshippingnews… on 6 April 2025 at 9:00 pm

Capesize The Capesize market started the week slowly due to the Hari Raya Puasa holiday in Singapore but gained momentum as trading resumed. The Pacific saw a midweek rebound, driven by strong C5 activity, with all three miners fixing in the low $9s. A tightening tonnage list and solid cargo volumes supported rates, while increased …

by hellenicshippingnews… on 6 April 2025 at 9:00 pm

Japanese thermal coal importers have been turning away from key traditional supplier Australia toward low-sulfur Indonesian coal in recent years, as well as exploring alternative markets such as South Africa and Colombia, as they seek to diversify supply sources amid a lack of liquidity in high calorific value grades, stricter environmental norms and price pressure. …