Rates Hold News

The coronavirus outbreak has affected all aspects of the shipping industry, lowering, if not wiping out, demand growth prospects for the year across all segments. The outbreak has also affected fleet development, says shipping association BIMCO.Contracting activity has fallen, demolition activity, which had been high, is now being limited by restrictions around the world and deliveries of new vessels are delayed.“The coronavirus has certainty replaced the IMO 2020 sulphur regulation as the talking point of the year.

Freight rates in Asian trades for very large crude carriers (VLCCs) are set to hold steady around current levels next week, after hitting a near four-week high on Thursday, as tanker supply matches cargo demand. "I can't see the market crashing, or spiking. There are enough ships - there is no real shortage of tonnage," a Singapore-based supertanker broker said on Friday. Around 32 VLCC cargoes have been fixed for loading in the Middle East in the first 10 days of March with 6 to 12 charters still to be agreed, he said.

Freight rates hold on to a healthy level on the main routes according to the latest BIMCO Market Analysis Report. Freight rates hold on to a healthy level on the main routes, while new large vessels are put to work smoothly without adding extra downside pressure to the current balance, says the report. The positive stories continue to show themselves in the container shipping segment, with freight rates holding up well and demolition activity staying strong. In the light of the slowly developing demand side, it’s very positive that the industry deals with the supply side issues to improve the fundamentals. Growth rates in container volumes on the main trading lanes pose a continuous challenge as they struggle to improve.

The recent successful implementation of significant rate restoration initiatives by carriers in the core east-west trade lanes means that most are now operating above break-even. Carriers took sufficient capacity out in the winter months to ensure that recently re-activated services have not caused too much damage to the supply/demand balance and load factors on the eastbound transpacific remain strong. However, with the worsening situation in Europe, we do not foresee a strong peak season this year and carriers will experience some rate erosion during the summer months. Evergreen’s decision to launch another weekly loop this month is not a positive and the Asia-Europe trade is most at risk because of the need to fill more 12,000+ teu ships every week.

Asia's Panamax rates for dry bulk cargo are expected to remain firm this week on strong vessel demand for grain and mineral exports and support from a rebound in Capesize, traders said. "Panamax freight rates are holding firm this week," said a shipping trader in Seoul. Active grain and oilseed exports from South America were providing support to the Panamax market, along with steady exports of coking coal from China, Indonesia and Australia, he said. The Panamax rates were also supported by a rebound in Capesize rates since late last week, he added. Spot freight rates for U.S. Gulf/Japan for Panamax cargoes were unchanged at about $23.25-$23.50 per ton from last week, a shipping broker said.

Freight rates for Panamaxes trading the Atlantic are holding strong but the Pacific market is now starting to weaken, shipbrokers said. "Prospects for May in the Atlantic are very good as South American business is expected to accelerate," said a shipbroker, adding that the strength in the Atlantic Panamax market was likely to continue into next month. South America's grain export season started later than expected this year and should therefore produce further opportunities for the Panamax sector in late spring, he said. One fixture was reported for this market on Tuesday, the 1981-built Golden Glow, 63,990 dwt, for prompt delivery Piraeus to be followed by an east coast of South America round voyage for at a daily rate of $10,250.

Freight rates in the Atlantic Panamax sector held steady on Wednesday amid signs that recent rises may be stalling, brokers said. "The Atlantic is holding up well, but the question is not whether the Panamax market will rally further, but when the Atlantic will come off," one said. Until then, Atlantic and Pacific Panamax rates were expected to remain steady. Signs that the market was reaching its pinnacle were heralded by the Baltic Panamax Index (BPI) on Monday, when rises in both the Atlantic and Pacific were noticeably smaller. The trend persisted on Tuesday, and by Wednesday the BPI rose just two points to 1,436. Freight rates remained high enough, however, to encourage charterers to continue with timecharter deals.

Panamax freight orders picked up for Atlantic tonnage on Tuesday while Pacific rates continued to hold strong, shipbrokers said. In the short-period market, the 75,000 dwt newbuilding APJ Jit was chartered for June 20-25 South Korea delivery, booked for 3-5 months trading at a rate of $9,750 daily, they said. Brokers reported the chartering of North Friendship, a 1999-built 74,732 dwt panamax, was chartered for end-June U.S. Gulf delivery. The timecharter included a trip to Indonesia at a rate of $11,250 daily plus a $225,000 ballast bonus, they said. Hanjin was said to have chartered the 1989-built 68,779 dwt Achilles for early July U.S. Gulf delivery and the panamax is set for a trip to the Far East at a rate of $11,100 daily plus a $210,000 ballast bonus.

Crude oil tanker rates maintained recent strength as markets continued active ahead of the Christmas break, shipping brokers said on Dec. 23. "Aframax and Suezmax markets are still bouyant; only VLCCs are still struggling along," one broker said. Tankers were fixed ahead of the holidays next week which would leave just Wednesday and Thursday for London brokers to trade. Not much activity was expected then. Continued shortage of tonnage for prompt dates were holding UK-Continent Aframax rates in the region of W150-160 ($5.50-5.85 per ton), slipping from a high of W165 achieved early this week. Cross Mediterranean voyages for the 80,000 ton vessels could achieve up to W122.5 ($4.20 per ton) while rates from the Mideast to Far East were about W130 ($13.75). Caribbean - upcoast U.S.