Weekly Freight Recap: 01/05/25
May 01, 2025
PANAMAX Atlantic: The Atlantic Panamax market softened over the week, with spot demand showing only limited support, particularly out of North Coast South America. Activity slowed across most areas, partly due to industry events and holidays. The Mediterranean saw a buildup in available tonnage, though sentiment remained cautiously firm. Despite some isolated fixtures, overall momentum remained muted, and many participants adopted a wait-and-see approach.
Pacific: The Pacific continued its downward trend, weighed down by a growing tonnage list and subdued inquiry. Trades from North Pacific and Australia lost ground, with weaker bids pushing owners to test lower levels. Activity out of Indonesia also slowed, offering little support. While tonnage remains tight in some pockets, overall sentiment in the region weakened, keeping rates under pressure.
SUPRAMAX Atlantic: The Atlantic Supramax market remained lackluster, with the US Gulf under continued pressure due to weak demand and oversupply. The South Atlantic offered relatively more stability, though fixtures remained limited. Sentiment across the Continent and Mediterranean stayed cautious, with little fresh enquiry to provide upward momentum.
Pacific: The Pacific Supramax segment faced a quiet week, with holidays dampening activity and many participants still absent post-conference. Indonesian coal business provided some support, but overall fresh cargo was limited, and rates slipped slightly. Owners held firm where possible, but pressure remained from the growing number of open vessels.
HANDYSIZE Atlantic: The Atlantic Handysize market remained under pressure, especially in the US Gulf and Mediterranean, where demand failed to pick up. The Continent saw steady but unspectacular activity, while the South Atlantic offered slightly firmer sentiment due to steady grain flows. Still, overall activity was light, and rate levels continued to face downward pressure.
Pacific: The Pacific Handysize market held mostly flat, with little change in fundamentals. Tonnage levels remained high, particularly in Southeast Asia, while cargo inquiry stayed thin. A few fixtures provided limited support, but the market lacked the drive to push rates meaningfully higher.
Weekly Recaps
Freight
Freight Recap:
08/05/25
May 08, 2025
The Atlantic Panamax market showed modest stability, with transatlantic activity supported by firm demand from North Coast South America and tight tonnage off the Continent. Grain business helped keep sentiment steady, though the southern part of the basin remained quiet with few fresh enquiries. Activity was limited due to holidays, but premium routes offered some support to rates despite a broadly sideways trend.
Commodities
Agri- Commodities:
28/4/-22/5/25 Agri
May 05, 2025
Grain markets navigated a complex mix of macroeconomic signals, weather developments, and geopolitical currents in Week 18, with wheat drawing the most attention amid volatile fund positioning and shifting sentiment. Early in the week, U.S. wheat futures led a broad decline across grain contracts as expectations for improved crop conditions took hold. These were confirmed late Monday by the Crop Progress report, which showed winter wheat ratings jumping to 49% good/excellent—surpassing market forecasts and matching last year’s figure. Favorable U.S. rainfall and continued planting progress in corn and soybeans reinforced the bearish tone, while a sharp uptick in wheat export inspections helped limit losses. Meanwhile, soybeans bucked the trend to close in the green, supported in part by robust export activity.
Freight
Freight Recap:
01/05/25
May 01, 2025
Panamax market softened over the week, with spot demand showing only limited support, particularly out of North Coast South America. Activity slowed across most areas, partly due to industry events and holidays. The Mediterranean saw a buildup in available tonnage, though sentiment remained cautiously firm.
Commodities
Agri- Commodities:
20-14/4/25 Agri
Apr 28, 2025
The week began with an early surge in CBOT grain prices, which quickly reversed despite continued weakness in the U.S. dollar. Wheat markets focused on contrasting crop conditions, with French soft wheat ratings stable at 75% good/excellent, while U.S. winter wheat ratings slipped by 2 points to 45% good/excellent, below expectations. Corn and soybean planting progress outpaced historical norms, with 12% and 8% of crops planted, respectively. Export inspections surpassed forecasts, especially for corn and wheat, reinforcing underlying demand. Speculative fund activity surged, with funds aggressively buying corn and soybeans, flipping their net position in soybeans to a net long for the first time in months.
