By Wayne Yamada
Rates for shipping dry bulk industrial minerals rose this week on higher demand for minor bulk commodities such as grain and fertiliser but the outlook for the main drivers – iron ore and coal – remained subdued.
The Baltic Dry Index (BDI) was 1146 on 11 July compared with 1103 on 4 July. Capesize, Panamax, Supramax, and Handymax indices were 1428, 1175, 1299, and 701 respectively.
Rates were lifted by more shipments of soft commodities, with China importing 5.62m tonnes of soybeans in June, up from 5.28 m tonnes in May and the highest volume since November...