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Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Panamax News

25 Mar 2024

Baltic Dry Index Slips to Three-week Low

© aerial-drone / Adobe Stock

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index fell to over a three-week low on Monday, weighed down by weakness in the capesize and panamax vessel segments.he overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, fell for the fifth straight session by 73 points, or 3.3%, to 2,123 points.The capesize index lost 187 points, or 5.4%, at 3,295, its lowest level since Feb. 27.Average daily earnings for capesize vessels, which typically transports 150…

13 Mar 2024

Ships Above 12,000 TEU Drive 100% Increase in Average Ship Size

Source: BIMCO

Since 2006, the average container ship has doubled in size to 4,580 TEU and ships with a capacity of more than 12,000 TEU has accounted for 51% of the fleet’s capacity expansion. Today, just 626 ships provide 36% of the fleet’s capacity, and the trend is set to continue as the large ships dominate the order book, says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.When the Emma Maersk was delivered in August 2006, the ship was by far the largest container ship in the world. It is 400 metres long, 56 metres wide and has a capacity of about 17,800 (14,000 TEU when delivered).

11 Mar 2024

Panama Canal to Increase Daily Transits to 27

Source: Panama Canal Authority

In response to the current and projected level of Gatun Lake, the Panama Canal Authority has announced, through Notice to Shipping Lines No. A-08-2024, that it will increase the number of daily slots available in the Panamax locks.Two additional slots will be offered by auction for transit dates scheduled starting March 18, and one additional slot will be available for transits scheduled starting March 25. This will bring the number of transits from 24 to 27.These measures allow the majority of ships that wish to transit the Canal to have a better chance of obtaining a reservation…

06 Mar 2024

Safe Bulkers Sells Two Vessels

© Volodymyr Kyrylyuk / Adobe Stock

Dry bulk shipowner Safe Bulkers on Wednesday announced it has reached deals to sell two of its vessels to undisclosed buyers.Through separate agreements, the Monaco-headquartered company will sell the 2010-built 92,000 dwt Post-Panamax Panayiota K at a gross sale price of $20.45 million and 2011-built 75,000 dwt Panamax Paraskevi 2 at a gross sale price of $20.3 million.The ships are scheduled to be delivered to their new owners in April and July 2024 respectively.Dr. Loukas Barmparis…

05 Mar 2024

Baltic Dry Index Ticks Down as Capesize Losses Offset Gains in Smaller Vessels

© Daniel / Adobe Stock

The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk sea freight snapped a 12-session winning streak on Tuesday, as pressure from lower capesize rates outweighed gains in smaller vessel segments.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, was down 0.3% at 2,291 points.The capesize index .BACI snapped its nine-session rising streak, shedding 57 points, or 1.4%, to 4,148.Average daily earnings for capesize vessels, which typically transport 150,000-ton cargoes such as iron ore and coal…

04 Mar 2024

Victoria International Container Terminal Phase 3A Expansion Completed

Source: ICTSI

Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT), ICTSI’s operations at the Port of Melbourne in Australia, recently completed Phase 3A of its expansion project.VICT can now accommodate neo-Panamax container ships, the largest container vessels calling Australia. The ships can now sail directly into Port Phillip and dock at VICT – the only terminal in Melbourne capable of receiving them. It is also the only fully-automated container terminal in the southern hemisphere.The AUD235 million expansion project is being carried out in two phases.

29 Feb 2024

Barge Fuel Exports Help Russia Negotiate Tanker Shortage

© Yulia / Adobe Stock

Russia exported more than 700,000 metric tons of oil products from the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk in 2023 using small river barges because of a lack of bigger tankers owing to EU sanctions and price cap limitations, market sources said and LSEG data showed.Some ship owners have avoided Russian ports since the EU embargo and price cap on Russian refined oil products went into effect in February last year, forcing shippers to turn to a so-called shadow fleet of ageing tankers.The shadow fleet has supported the flow of Russian barrels…

14 Feb 2024

Diana Shipping Orders Two Methanol Dual-fuel Bulkers

© Björn Wylezich / Adobe Stock

Greek shipowner Diana Shipping on Wednesday announced it has placed an order for two new methanol dual-fuel Kamsarmax bulk carriers from China's Tsuneishi Group (Zhoushan) Shipbuilding Inc.The 81,200 dwt newbuilds were ordered at a purchase price of $46 million each, Diana said. The vessels are expected to be delivered by the second half of 2027 and the first half of 2028, respectively.Diana in September 2023 announced it signed a letter of intent (LOI) to order the ships through…

13 Feb 2024

Dry Bulk Vessel Rates on the Rise

© cloudvisual / Adobe Stock

The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk sea freight index rose for a third straight session on Tuesday to hit a one-month peak, as rates climbed across larger vessel segments.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, was up 13 points, or 0.8%, at 1,585 points, its highest since Jan. 10.The capesize index also scaled a one-month high. It added 23 points, or 0.9%, at 2,476 points.Average daily earnings for capesize vessels, which typically transport 150…

12 Feb 2024

Safe Bulkers Sells 2005-built Panamax

© Valerii / Adobe Stock

Dry bulk shipowner Safe Bulkers announced Monday it has has reached a deal to sell the oldest vessel in its fleet to an undisclosed buyer.The ship is the Maritsa, a 76,000 dwt Panamax bulk carrier built in Japan in 2005. The vessel was sold at a gross sale price of $12.2 million and a forward delivery date from April 2024 to May 2024, New York-listed Safe Bulkers said.Dr. Loukas Barmparis, president of Safe Bulkers, said, “We continue our strategy to selectively sell older vessels…

12 Feb 2024

Houthis Target Cargo Ship Bound for Iran

© Sergey Zhmurchak / Adobe Stock

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have targeted a cargo ship in the Red Sea which shipping analysts said on Monday had been carrying corn to Iran.It appeared to be the first time the Houthis have targeted an Iran-bound vessel since starting attacks on international shipping in solidarity with Palestinians over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, shipping sources said.A U.S. defence official said it was likely that the ship had been targeted but not hit, but provided no further comment. Earlier…

29 Jan 2024

Panagiotidis Family Buys Two Bulk Carriers from Castor Maritime

© Volodymyr Kyrylyuk / Adobe Stock

Castor Maritime announced it has reached deals to sell two bulk carrier vessels to entities owned by a family member of Castor Maritime's chairman, CEO and CFO, Petros Panagiotidis.Under separate agreements signed January 19, 2024, the Cyprus-based company sold the 2010-built Panamax bulk carriers Magic Nova and Magic Horizon for $16.1 million and $15.8 million respectively. Both vessels are expected to be delivered to their new owners by the end of the first quarter of 2024.The deals' terms were negotiated and approved by a committee of Castor Maritime's independent directors…

23 Jan 2024

Diana Shipping Sells Its Oldest Vessel

(Photo: Diana Shipping)

Diana Shipping on Tuesday announced it has reached a deal to sell its oldest vessel, an 18-year-old panamax bulk carrier.The Greek shipowner said it has reached a memorandum of agreement through one of its subsidiaries to sell the 76,942 dwt vessel Artemis to an undisclosed third-party buyer for $12.99 million. The ship is slated to be delivered to its new owner by March 8 at the latest.Artemis was built in 2006 by Japan's Namura Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. in 2006.Upon completion of the sale…

18 Jan 2024

Baltic Dry Index Snaps Eight-day Losing Streak

© sandsun / Adobe Stock

The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk sea freight index snapped an eight-day losing streak on Thursday as rates increased across larger vessel segments.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, gained 49 points, or 3.8%, to 1,357.The capesize index rose by 120 points, or 6.9%, to 1,853.Average daily earnings for capesize vessels, which typically transports 150,000-ton cargoes such as iron ore and coal, increased by $990 to $15,365.Iron ore futures prices rebounded, aided by renewed hope of further stimulus from top consumer China following a speech

16 Jan 2024

Accelleron Helps KMTC Save Over $500M with Digital Optimization Tool

© Genya / Adobe Stock / Editorial Use

Korea Marine Transport Company Ship Management (KMTC SM) has reported annual fuel savings worth approximately $540,000 in total, after installing Accelleron’s digital engine optimization solution Tekomar XPERT on 12 Panamax vessels.Tekomar XPERT delivers engine optimization recommendations based on thermodynamic insights that aim to bring engines back to operating performance achieved at ‘new’ condition.The solution can be applied to any engine and turbocharger make. KMTC SM followed the advisory from Tekomar XPERT…

12 Jan 2024

Baltic Dry Index Marks Worst Week Since 2008

© InfinitumProdux / Adobe Stock

The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk sea freight index slid on Friday as its worst week since 2008 came to an end with rates across vessel segments languishing at multi-month lows.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, and supramax shipping vessels, lost 94 points, or 6.1%, to 1,460, its lowest level since Nov. 2. It shed more than 30% for its biggest weekly decline since 2008.The capesize index dropped by 252 points, or 10.4%, to 2,172, extending its losing streak to the fifth session and hitting its lowest since Nov.

09 Jan 2024

Diana Shipping Announces Continuation of Time Charter for Amphitrite

Source: Diana Shipping

Diana Shipping, a global shipping company specializing in the ownership and bareboat charter-in of dry bulk vessels, has announced that, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, it has extended the time charter contract with Cobelfret S.A., Luxembourg, for one of its Post-Panamax dry bulk vessels, the Amphitrite.The gross charter rate is $12,250 per day for the first 30 days of the charter period and $15,000 per day for the balance period of the time charter, in each case minus a 5% commission paid to third parties…

09 Jan 2024

Baltic Dry Index Logs Biggest Fall in a Month

© debjit / Adobe Stock

The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk sea freight index fell on Tuesday to a nearly seven-week low in its worst showing in more than a month, as rates across vessel segments hit multi-week lows.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, lost 147 points, or 7.3%, to 1,875, hitting a fresh low since Nov. 23.The capesize index dropped by 350 points, or 9.7%, to 3,249, also logging its biggest daily fall since Dec. 7.Average daily earnings for capesize vessels…

03 Jan 2024

Baltic Dry Index Edges Down as Demand for Smaller Vessels Slips

© owr / Adobe Stock

The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk sea freight index eased on Wednesday, as falling rates for panamax and supramax vessels overshadowed gains in the capesize segment.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, was down 2 points, or 0.1%, at 2,091.The capesize index was up 85 points, or 2.4%, at 3,569, its highest in more than two weeks.Average daily earnings for capesize vessels, which typically transport 150,000-tonne cargoes such as iron ore and coal…

13 Dec 2023

Tacoma, Seattle Ports Ink Deals for Navigation Improvement Projects

(Photo; The Northwest Seaport Alliance)

Pacific Northwest seaports Seattle and Tacoma have signed design agreements with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for a pair of waterway navigation improvement projects.The Seattle Navigation Improvement Project, authorized by Congress in 2018, and the Tacoma Harbor Navigation Improvement Project, authorized in 2022, are part of a comprehensive modernization initiative for The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) gateway that began nearly a decade ago.Containerships navigating in the trans-Pacific trade are increasing in size…

04 Jan 2024

Argentina’s Grain Exports Could Jump 40%

Chart courtesy BIMCO

“Argentina is on track to boost grain exports by 40% in 2024, recovering from last year’s drought which afflicted crops, but still below the 2019-2022 average. Climate patterns and government policy are shaping the outlook,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.El Niño has brought improved weather conditions for Argentina’s grain crops. The wheat harvest is nearly complete and estimated to be 20% larger than a year ago. Meanwhile, the favorable conditions continue to support the growing maize and soybean crops.

30 Nov 2023

Baltic Dry Bulk Index Doubles in November

Source: Baltic Exchange

The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk sea freight index .BADI gained for the sixth consecutive session on Thursday, more than doubling in November to hit an one-and-a-half year peak helped by mounting supply of tonnage and cargo demand.The overall index .BADI, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, supramax shipping vessels, was up 241 points or 8.9% at 2,937.

22 Dec 2023

Capital Product Partners Move Forward with $3.1B Acquisition of 11 LNG Carriers

(Credit: Capital Gas)

New York-listed shipowner Capital Product Partners L.P. (CPLP) has closed the umbrella agreement from November 2023, moving forward with the $3.1 billion acquisition of 11 newbuild LNG carrier vessels.CPLP entered into umbrella agreement with Capital Maritime & Trading Corp. and Capital GP on November 13, providing for the acquisition of 11 newbuild liquefied LNG carriers.Upon the closing of the umbrella agreement on Thursday, CPLP entered into 11 share purchase agreements to acquire 100% of the equity interests in each vessel-owning company.Each Vessel will have a capacity of 174…