US/Asia Strengthens

摘要

Strong demand from China for chemicals such as styrene, xylene, phenol and acetone helped push up freights for 5,000t cargoes Houston/MPFE from high $60s/t to mid $70s/t. Contractual volumes picked up too, keeping scheduled tonnage active and allowing outsiders onto the route for a premium on the rate.rnPlant issues in Europe meant a busier transatlantic market with toluene cargoes especially. Due to the tightness of methanol and caustic in Europe there were several fixtures from the USG and Venezuela. Ethanol too was active transatlantic. Rates were steady on USG/Caribs routes. However, a noticeable shift has occurred away from the historical USG/Venezuela-EC.Caribs movements more to USG/ Colombia-EC.Central America instead, a result of the political and economic tension between the US and Venezuela.