Baltic Dry Index Falls to 6-Month Low

2026-01-14 16:51 By Agna Gabriel 1 min. read

The Baltic Dry Index, a common gauge of global shipping activity, has dropped for eight days in a row to 1,566, its lowest level in about six months, as demand for the biggest ships has weakened.

The capesize index, covering vessels that typically carry 150,000-ton cargoes of iron ore and coal, fell 5.1% to 2,322.

Fewer coal shipments into China mean these ships are making fewer long-distance trips, so ship owners are cutting prices to stay busy, pushing daily earnings down noticeably.

On the other hand, supramax vessels finally stopped falling after weeks of losses, while panamax ships became slightly more expensive to hire.



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Baltic Dry Index at Near 1-Month High
The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk freight index, which monitors rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, advanced for a second session on Thursday, rising 1.8% to its highest since March 5 at 2,066 points. The capesize index, which typically transports 150,000-ton cargoes including iron ore and coal, also increased for a second day, surging 2.1% to an over four-week high of 3,086 points; and the panamax index, which usually carries 60,000 to 70,000 tons of coal or grain, rose 1.5% to 1,784 points. Among smaller vessels, the supramax index went up 1.2% to 1,224 points. For the week, the benchmark index gained 1.7%.
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Baltic Dry Index Snaps 2-Day Losing Run
The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk freight index, which monitors rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, halted a two-day decline on Wednesday, rising by 1.8% to 2,030 points, amid broad-based gains across vessel segments. The capesize index, which typically transports 150,000-ton cargoes including iron ore and coal, also snapped a two-day losing streak, surging 2.6% to 3,023 points; and the panamax index, which usually carries 60,000 to 70,000 tons of coal or grain, increased by 0.8% to 1,758 points. Among smaller vessels, the suprmax index rose by 0.6% to 1,209 points.
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Baltic Dry Index at Near 3-Week Low, Posts Monthly Loss
The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk freight index, which monitors rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, was down for a second session on Tuesday, falling 1.1% to a near three-week low of 1,995 points. The capesize index, which typically transport 150,000-ton cargoes including iron ore and coal, also retreated for a second day, slumping 1.9% to a near one-week low of 2,947 points; and the supramax index eased 1 point, or 0.1%, to 1,202 points. Conversely, the panamax index, which usually carry 60,000 to 70,000 tons of coal or grain, edged up 0.1% to 1,744 points. The benchmark index recorded a 12.2% decline in March, its first month of losses this year.
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