Articles By Eoin Hughes

Dry bulk freight rates for Panamax vessels in the Atlantic Ocean fell in the week to Wednesday December 18, with slow exports continuing to weigh on rates.

Freight rates in the North and South Atlantic have dropped consistently since mid-October and are down by almost 25% year on year. Several factors explain the dramatically weaker rates, including less cargo in the Atlantic, a lack of logistical issues and slower demand from China, Fastmarkets understands.

Dry bulk freight rates for Panamax vessels in the Atlantic Ocean recovered slightly in the week to Wednesday December 11.

Dry bulk freight rates for Panamax vessels in the Atlantic Ocean remained at recent lows in the week to Wednesday December 4, with a lack of export cargoes and high tonnages continuing to hold rates down, Fastmarkets has heard.

Dry bulk freight rates for Panamax vessels in the Atlantic Ocean fell to new lows in the week to Wednesday November 27, with slow exports still not absorbing tonnage and weighing on rates.

Dry conditions in most of Europe have benefitted winter rapeseed and cereal sowing for most of Europe, according to the latest EU Monitoring Agricultural Resources (MARS) report.

The International Grains Council (IGC) has lowered its world grain production forecast for the 2024/25 marketing year by 4 million tonnes to 2.31 billion tonnes, according to the council’s latest monthly report.

Dry bulk freight rates for Panamax vessels in the Atlantic Ocean fell to new lows in the week to Wednesday November 20, with exports still not sufficient to absorb tonnage, weighing on rates.

Dry bulk freight rates for Panamax vessels in the Atlantic Ocean hit a 15-month low in the week to Wednesday November 13, with slow exports and growing tonnage weighing on rates.

Dry bulk freight rates for Panamax vessels in the Atlantic fell further in the week to Wednesday November 6, as high tonnage availability and slow exports still weighed on rates.

Dry bulk freight rates for Panamax vessels in the Atlantic fell further to new annual lows in the week to Wednesday October 30, as high tonnage availability and weak demand continued to hit the Atlantic freight market, sources told Fastmarkets.

Forecasts for corn, sunflower and soybean yields in the EU have all been cut after a rainy start to autumn, according to the latest EU Monitoring Agricultural Resources (MARS) report.

Dry bulk freight rates for Panamax vessels in the Atlantic fell again to reach their lowest levels in a year in the week to Wednesday October 23, with weaker grain exports continuing to weigh on rates.

Dry bulk freight rates for Panamax vessels in the Atlantic decreased again in the week to Wednesday October 16 with weak grain exports compared to high tonnage and gloomy sentiment weighing on rates.

The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Food Price Index rose by 3 points from its revised August figures to 124.4 points in September, due to price increases across all commodities in the index, the FAO said on Friday October 4.

French corn conditions were stable in the week to September 30, but the pace of harvest was well behind recent years, according to farm agency FranceAgriMer’s weekly report released on Friday October 4.

Dry bulk freight rates for Panamax vessels in the Atlantic fell in the week to Wednesday October 2, with weaker exports in both the North and South Atlantic weighing on rates, sources told Fastmarkets.

Weekly soybean imports into the EU totaled 114,849 tonnes in the week to Sunday September 29, according to initial data from the European Commission released on Tuesday October 1.

Weather extremes have hit winter, barley and corn yields, and thus cut production in Russia, according to the latest EU Monitoring Agricultural Resources (MARS) report.

Dry bulk freight rates for Panamax vessels in the Atlantic were little changed in the week to Wednesday September 25, with stronger demand for ships continuing to support rates.