Industrial Minerals


Skip Navigation Links

Freight costs set to increase

11 February 2010


Dry bulk shipping rates expected to rise on recovering economies restocking

Global steel demand and production is expected rise in 2010, boosting forecasts for seaborne trade in iron ore and coking coal and therefore dry bulk shipping rates.The Baltic Dry Index (BDI) hit a high of 2722 at the beginning of the week, but eased to 2630 on 10 February 2010 compared to 2685 on 4 February 2010.Capesize, Panamax, Supramax, and Handysize were 3310, 3087, 2111, and 1057, respectively.Recovering European economies were expected to increase steel consumption, with real steel demand forecast to grow 0.3% year on year in 2010 and 2011 set to...