The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk freight index, which tracks shipping rates for vessels carrying dry bulk commodities, declined for a fourth consecutive session on Thursday, losing about 3.2% to 2,844 points, its lowest level since August 3.
The capesize index, reflecting rates for vessels that typically transport 150,000-ton cargoes such as iron ore and coal, dropped about 5.2% to 4,469 points. The panamax index, which measures rates for ships carrying roughly 60,000 to 70,000 tons of coal or grain, fell 1.7% to 2,262 points, posting its second straight daily decline.
Among smaller vessel segments, the supramax index edged up 0.6% to 1,613 points.
