Shipowners and charterers had hoped for a last minute rush of fixtures at the end of the peak season to provide a much-needed boost for the market, but it wasn't to be. Box volumes on the large majority of trades continued to disappoint in September and, perhaps understandably, there is a rather glum mood among brokers who now fear the worst as we head into what is traditionally the quietest period of the year. "By now we would have expected there to be some fixing flurries to accommodate any last minute volumes swings but this, as is well documented, is not the case and has not been for a few months now," commented London-based Clarksons Platou Shipbroking. "As we slip into the longer, darker and colder nights, one side of the equation will be wishing for a push on tonnage while the other side hopes volumes and freight return to workable levels with an 'Indian Summer' perhaps being the only possible short-term relief."
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