Armada of coaster ships needed to absorb Baltic cargoes

摘要

The Baltic Sea coaster market continues to show roaring tonnage demand. ISM sources still note extremely active cargo flow, namely shipments of fertilizers, steel, grain, coal and saw timber. Meanwhile, the tonnage list remains rather limited in the basin. In these circumstances, rates continue to grow day by day. Note that it is now difficult to mention any market averages as rates on same routes can differ greatly. In general, freights have added about €3-5/t this week, while some deals are already signed by €10/t above previous levels: A 4,000 cu m lot of saw timber has been fixed from St. Petersburg to the UK at €75/cu m, while the level of about €70/cu m has also been reported on this route;