Feb 11 (Reuters) – The Baltic Exchange’s fundamental sea freight index, monitoring charges for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, ended flat on Thursday after declining for 12 straight periods as gloom over international demand continues to prevail.

The Baltic dry index is down about 98 p.c from its peak of 11,793 factors in May 2008, marking the bottom stage for the reason that information started in 1985.

The general index, which gauges the price of transport assets together with iron ore, cement, grain, coal and fertiliser, remained flat at 290 factors.

The dry bulk sector has been notably damage by slower Chinese enterprise at a time when the sector is fighting big overcapacity.

The capesize index was down 2 factors at 206 factors.

Average every day earnings for capesizes, which generally transport 150,000-tonne cargoes akin to iron ore and coal, fell $20 to $2,756.

The panamax index was up 11 factors, or 3.65 p.c, at 312 factors. Average every day earnings for panamaxes had been up by $86 at $2,503.

The supramax index was down 3 factors at 244 factors, whereas the handysize index fell 2 factors to 184 factors. (Reporting by Kevin Jose in Bengaluru; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)

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