The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk freight index, which tracks rates for vessels transporting dry bulk commodities, extended its slide for a fifth consecutive session on Friday, losing about 2.6% to 2,524 points — its lowest reading since mid-April.
The capesize index, covering vessels that typically carry 150,000-ton cargoes such as iron ore and coal, fell 4.9% to 3,640 points, while the supramax index slipped 0.5% to 1,670 points, its weakest level since June 15. In contrast, the panamax index — which reflects rates for ships transporting around 60,000 to 70,000 tons of coal or grain — rose 0.7% to 2,110 points.
On a weekly basis, the benchmark dry bulk index declined by 7.3%.
