The Black Sea market participants report a barely noticeable increase in demand for Handysize fleet for mid-June dates, though, according to other sources, the number of firm cargo offers remains minimal. Anyway, owners are so far unable to raise rates from bottom. On the time-charter market, rates for Handysize vessels of about 30k dwt bss dely passing Canakkale still amount to $2.5-3.5k daily, while most charterers initially offer at best $3k daily bss dely APS BlSea. At the same time, charterers are now ready to pay $4k daily for an about 33k dwt carrier bss APS dely Aegean redel S.France. Owners of an about 37k dwt ship have managed to get about $4.5k daily bss dely passing Canakkale via BlSea redel Continent, though a couple of 30-33k dwt carriers have been chartered at $3k daily on the same route.
As for longer legs and duration, charterers are ready to pay quite strong $6.5k daily for a sulfur run by an about 28k dwt carrier bss DOP dely BlSea redel WAfr. At the same time, charterers offer mere $2.5k daily for an about 34k dwt ship bss dely passing Canakkale via BlSea redel ECSA, while owners are ready to work at least at $3.25k daily. The deal for Handysize bss dely passing Canakkale via BlSea redel PG has been fixe at $7.3k daily.
Despite the fact that grain traders are now clearing their stocks for the new grain season, firm spot offers are very few on the market. So, the deal for transportation of 30,000 t of corn from Nikolayev to La Coruna in early June with l/d rates of 10,000c/8,000x has been signed at $10/t (equivalent to $2.5k daily bss dely psg Canakkale). Charterers offer mere $9/t for shipment of a similar lot of grain from Nikolayev to Egypt with standard l/d rates of 8,000x/5,000x, while owners want to get at least $11/t. Traders are ready to pay $23/t for transportation of 25,000 t of corn from Odessa to the Persian Gulf with l/d rates of 4,000x/3,000x, which is equivalent to mere $5k daily bss dely psg Canakkale.
As for other cargoes, offers of sulfur, fertilizers and minerals are rare at the moment; only steel shipments have shown a slight upturn. Charterers are ready to pay $10-11/t for transportation of 33,000 t of sulfur from Georgia to Morocco with June 8-10 laycans and l/d rates of 5,000 sshex bends. The deal for shipment of 20-22,000 t of sulfur from the Kavkaz port road to Benin with June 5-14 laycans and l/d rates of 5,000x/2,500c has been signed at $22/t, which can be considered a success for owners on current market, as this level is equivalent to about $7k daily bss dely passing Canakkale. Carrying 25,000 t of fertilizers from Ashdod to Amsterdam with June 4-7 laycans and l/d rates of 7,000x/10,000c is estimated by ISM at $8.5-9/t. Charterers are ready to pay very high 20’s/t for shipment of 36-40,000 t of DAP from Gabes to Bangladesh bss 1/2 with 5000x/2500x l/d rates, which is equal to $9.5-10k daily bss dely DOP EMed.
As for general cargoes, charterers offer mere $4.5/t for transportation of 21,000 t of steels from Novorossiysk to the Marmara Sea with 5,000c/5,000x l/d rates (even considering cheap VLSFO in Novorossiysk, this level does not even reach $1k daily bss dely psg Canakkale and $1.5k daily bss dely APS Novo). The deal for transportation of 25-30,000 t of cement in bb from Antalya to Freetown with usual low l/d rates has been fixed at $15/t bss free DA dischport, which is equal to $6k daily bss dely EMed.
In the small Handy segment, traders offer $14/t for shipment of 15,000 t of wheat from Novorossiysk to Morocco. A 14,000 t lot of WRIC + rebar is exported from the same port to the UK bss 1/2 at $27/t, while a similar lot of WRIC is carried to Israel at $22.5/t bss FILO.