Handysize owners working in SE Asia still share rather negative sentiment, but players continue to report positive shifts on the Indian Ocean market. Thus, despite somewhat livelier cargo traffic ex Australia this week, owners of carriers open in SE Asia continue to make concessions to charterers amid excessive tonnage list in the region. Note that the cargo flow ex SE Asian ports also remains limited, putting additional pressure on rates. Meanwhile, the sentiment continues to improve on the Indian Ocean market amid a further increase in steel offer from India, as well as in the offer of construction and general cargoes ex Persian Gulf ports. Relevant rates are as follows.
As for SE Asia:
A 29k dwt vessel was fixed and failed subs at $20k daily bss dely Malaysia via Indo redel Far East;
A 28k dwt carrier has been fixed on subs at $24.5k daily for sugar transportation bss DOP Thailand redel Indonesia;
A ship of 48k dwt has been chartered at $28.5k daily bss dely Manila via Indo redel China;
Reportedly, owners of a Handymax vessel have managed to get a strong $37.5k daily for an Indo RV bss dely Gresik;
On the voyage basis, the contract for transportation of 30,000 t of alumina from W.Aus to Qingdao has been signed at around $50/t with mid-July laycans (equivalent to $20k daily bss dely CJK);
Owners are seeking to get $45/t for transportation of 26,000 t of sugar from Thailand to Surabaya with July laycans;
Carrying 27,500 t of alumina from E.Australia to Lianyungang with 20,000c/12,000c l/d rates is estimated by ISM at $60/t ($8.25/t down from last week).
With regard to the Indian Ocean:
Standard Handysize fleet of 30k dwt can be chartered at about $23k daily bss dely PG redel SE Asia (around $2k daily up from last week);
Reportedly, a 37k dwt carrier has been fixed at $38k daily for steel transportation bss DOP ECI redel Continent;
Owners of another 37k dwt vessel want to get $33k daily for granite transportation bss dely ECI redel S.China while charterers are bidding at $30k daily;
The contract for grains transportation by a 36k dwt ship bss dely Durban via East Africa redel SE Asia has been signed at $33k daily;
A 33k dwt vessel has been chartered at $25k daily for a fertilizer shipment bss DOP PG redel WCI.
