The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk index, which measures freight rates for ships transporting dry commodities, fell for a third consecutive session on Thursday, slipping 2.1% to 2,019 points — its lowest level since February 11 — as Lunar New Year celebrations in Asia continued to dampen demand.
The capesize index, reflecting rates for vessels that typically carry 150,000-ton cargoes such as iron ore and coal, dropped 3.7% to 3,001 points, while the supramax index declined 1.7% to 1,160 points. In contrast, the panamax index, which tracks ships that usually transport 60,000–70,000 tons of coal or grain, edged up 1.1% to 1,816 points.
