Baltic Dry Index Dips Below 600
June 16 (Reuters) – The Baltic Exchange’s most important sea freight index, monitoring charges for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, slipped Thursday as demand for capesize vessels fell.
The general index, which elements in charges for capesize, panamax, supramax and handysize transport vessels, was down 6 factors, or 0.99 p.c, at 598 factors.
The capesize index fell 24 factors, or 2.4 p.c, to 976 factors.
Average every day earnings for capesizes, which generally transport 150,000-tonne cargoes resembling iron ore and coal, had been down $232 at $6,938.
The panamax index was flat at 545 factors.
Average every day earnings for panamaxes, which often carry coal or grain cargoes of about 60,000 to 70,000 tonnes, decreased $4 to $4,352.
Among smaller vessels, the supramax index rose 2 factors to 554 factors, whereas the handysize index fell 1 level to 314 factors. (Reporting by Harshith Aranya in Bengaluru; Editing by Martina D’Couto)
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