Supply Chain Research

Bulk freight and tanker operators did much better than container-lines in September. The Baltic Dry Index climbed 15% in the month – despite falling 10% from their intra-month peak. The increase across the rate card, led by a 27% jump in handysize, being remarkable for the decline in commodity rates which included a 22% slide in iron ore rates. Tankers also beat the container-lines’ 4% decline with the Baltic Dirty Tanker Index having climbed 14% (the highest since May). A rise in oil prices will have helped, but that was not enough to stop average tanker rates for the quarter falling 1...