Dry Cargo

Cape sales dominate as rates soar

Cape sales reserved the top spot in this week’s broking reports. Clarksons reports that the year has begun with significant sales activity, against the backdrop of firming capesize freight rates. Freight rates for capes are now above $21,000 a day for the first time in many months.

“The Baltic Exchange assesses the firming freight rates to come partly from the upward pressure asserted by the fast-moving FFA market and the modest ballaster line-up of vessels moving into the Atlantic for cargo,” analysts at Lorentzen & Stemoco noted today, going on to describe the rise in capesize FFA prices as “awesome”, taking the physical shipping community by surprise in recent days.

Several scrubber and BWTS-installed capes are noted sold. Nissen Shipping appears to have finally sold the 2010-built King Ore for around $20m. Sales talk has surrounded this Japanese built ship for months.

Another cape sale has been completed by Turkey’s Eregli Denizcilik. This bulker player sold its only ship, the 2011-built Cape Istanbul. The Hanjin Subic- built ship was sold for $19.1m to Greece’s Union Marine Enterprises, according to VesselsValue.

Meanwhile, brokers are also reporting that Hong Kong owner Unique Shipping has quit dry bulk, offloading its one cape, the Shanghai Waigaoqiao built Unique Carrier for $11.5m.

Hans Thaulow

Hans Henrik Thaulow is an Oslo-based journalist who has been covering the shipping industry for the last 15 years. As well as some work for the Informa Group, Hans was the China correspondent for TradeWinds. He also contributes to Maritime CEO magazine. Hans’ shipping background extends to working as a shipbroker trainee with Simpson, Spence & Young in Hong Kong.
Back to top button