By Keith Wallis

SINGAPORE, Dec 22 (Reuters)– Freight prices for big capesize completely dry freight ships on secret Asian paths might split with prices from Brazil to China pushing greater on a scarcity of tonnage as well as those from Australia to China holding company around present degrees on enough freight, ship brokers stated.

“Tonnage is very tight given the number of ships available for January loading dates from Brazil. Rates should keep pushing higher,” a Singapore- based capesize broker stated on Thursday.

“There are only a couple of ships available to load for the first half of January,” the broker included.

“Vale is offering rates around the index level, but ship-owners are making offers about $1 per tonne above that,” the broker included.

The Brazilian miner taken care of 3 freights in current days, the broker stated although they seemed off-market offers that have actually not been openly reported.

Coal freights as well as iron ore deliveries from South Africa additionally aided sustain capesize prices in the Atlantic, the broker stated.

Iron ore as well as coal are standard freights for 180,000 deadweight tonne capesize ships.

Charter prices from Australia to China were level although there was much more task from miners consisting of BHP Billiton.

Brazil raised its market share of Chinese iron ore imports to 20.8 percent this year, from 19.2 percent in 2015, according to a record today by ship broker Banchero Costa.

“Volumes in the first 10 months reached 175.8 million tonnes, up 17.65 percent from the same period in 2015,” the record stated.

But Australia continued to be the biggest iron ore merchant to China, audit for 62.5 percent, or 526.8 million tonnes, of all quantities as much as October, the record included.

Charter prices from Western Australia to China were level at $5.07 per tonne on Wednesday from $5.08 per tonne a week back.

Freight prices from Brazil to China reached $11.53 on Wednesday, the highest possible becauseDec 7, versus $10.39 per tonne, a week previously.

“Rates from Brazil-China could nudge higher, while rates for Australia to China will be firm but flat,” a Shanghai- based ship broker stated on Wednesday.

“I believe the market will be firm during the Christmas holidays,” the Shanghai broker included.

Charter prices for smaller sized panamax vessels for a north Pacific round-trip trip went down to $5,825 daily on Wednesday from $7,362 daily recently.

The panamax market had a peaceful begin to the week however prices remained in high decrease, Norwegian ship broker Fearnley stated in a record on Wednesday.

Rates in the Far East for supramax vessels went down to around $6,500 daily from $7,800 daily recently for coal deliveries from Indonesia to China, brokers stated.

The Baltic Exchange’s primary sea products index was up to 926 on Wednesday compared to 1,003 a week back. (Reporting by Keith Wallis; Editing by Joseph Radford)

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