The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk freight index, which tracks rates for ships transporting dry bulk commodities, rose about 0.6% on Thursday to 2,686 points, its highest level since December 8. The advance was driven by gains in the larger vessel segments.
The capesize index — covering vessels that typically carry 150,000-ton cargoes such as iron ore and coal — climbed 1% to 2,670 points. The panamax index, which reflects rates for ships usually hauling 60,000 to 70,000 tons of coal or grain, increased 0.7% to 1,992 points. In contrast, the supramax index declined 0.6% to 1,525 points.
