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Coaster Freight Index: Comprehensive data on shortsea shipping |
Trade remains brisk in the Baltic Sea coaster segment. ISM sources still report some rush in the market, as players are still trying to close the contracts before holidays in the region. The cargo traffic from the regional ports stays healthy. The charterers are still facing difficulties finding the ships for spot dates, while it is quite easy to fix a vessel for early January shipment. The owners still manage to keep spot rates at a rather high level; moreover, they are not making concessions negotiating early January shipments.
Note that ice conditions remain favorable in the Gulf of Finland. Ice restrictions have not been introduced so far.
Most freight rates have stayed at last week’s levels. An about 5,500 t lot of fertilizers from the Gulf of Finland port to southern Ireland has been fixed at €33/t. The charterers are ready to pay €55,000 bss lumpsum for transportation of 3,500 t of steel scrap (sf 62-65`) from St. Petersburg to Klaipeda, while the owners are still voicing higher ideas. Carrying 4,000 t of steel products from St. Petersburg to the ARA ports is quoted at €23-25/t, to the east of the UK at €28-29/t. The deal for shipment of 4,000 t of peas from Vasteras to Rouen is negotiated at €26-27/t. A 5,000 t lot of linseeds from Liepaja to Ghent has been fixed at €26/t. Carrying 3,000 t of agricultural products (sf 53-55`) from Klaipeda to the ARA ports with early January laycans is quoted at €24/t, to the east of the UK at about €27/t. According to a broker, a 4,500 t lot of fertilizers from Riga to the ARA ports (2 ports of discharge) has been fixed at €35/t. A similar cargo lot to the Bay of Biscay has been fixed at low €30s/t. Shipment of 5-6,000 t of fertilizers from Lithuania to Szczecin costs €13/t. A 8,000 t lot of fertilizers from the Lower Baltic to the west of the UK has been fixed at €31.5/t, which seems to be quite a successful deal for the shipowner.