Trade activity in the Black Sea region has picked up somewhat recently, but the number of firm cargo orders remains insufficient to provide significant support to the freight market.
This was reported by ASAP Agri, according to the Ukrainian Grain Association.
"Despite shipowners’ attempts to reverse the trend, rates in the coaster segment have mostly remained at previously reached levels, as the supply of available tonnage in the region still significantly exceeds the number of cargo requests. Meanwhile, rates for handy-size vessels have increased slightly further; shipowners continue to show optimistic sentiment and quote higher freight levels, while strengthening conditions in the larger supramax segment are giving them additional confidence," experts said.
The freight department of Atria Brokers estimates the freight cost for shipping 30,000 tonnes of corn from Ukrainian deep-sea ports to Italy’s eastern coast at $24 per tonne, up $1 per tonne over the week.
In the coaster segment, freight rates for shipping 6,000 tonnes of corn from Ukrainian Danube ports to Italy’s eastern coast remained at $38–39 per tonne.
