Shipping Report
TANKERS Quieter market for VLCCs, especially out of Arabian Gulf due to Chinese New Year holidays. – Latest fixtures stand at W/S 150-155. Stasco has fixed M/T «Astro Libra» for 270,000 tons of cargo, loading February 13, discharging East, at W/S 155. – On Suezmaxes, owners are continuing to call for improvement, asking from charterers above W/S 200. Rates for 130,000-ton cargoes with destination USAC are fixed at aforesaid levels. – VLCCs out of the same area with destination US Gulf are being fixed at W/S 160. – Aframaxes are still weak in all areas. – In the Mediterranean, the 80,000-ton cargoes are fixed at W/S 170-180, while in the North Sea around W/S 125-130. – Caribs remains stable, with latest fixtures at W/S 155-160 for the 70,000-ton cargo liftings. – In the Mediterranean and on Aframax, Vitol for 80,000 tons of cargo, loading February 21 Black Sea, discharging Mediterranean, has fixed M/T «Sinova» at W/S 180. – In the Cont., Alpine for 80,000 tons of cargo, loading February 18 Tallin, discharging UKC, has fixed M/T «Natura» at W/S 137.5. – In Caribs, Cargill has fixed M/T «Angistri» for 70,000 tons of cargo, loading February 14, discharging Bahamas, at W/S 150. DRY CARGO A slower start of the week as expected, due to the Chinese New Year holidays. – Capesize vessels are being negotiated at lower rates in the area. – In the Atlantic, M/V «Karteria,» 174,001 dwt, built 1985, which was fixed via St Lawrence, redelivery Korea, at USD 105,000 daily, has lost the subjects. – On Panamaxes there is some fixing in the Atlantic, while in the East rates remain largely flat. Bunge has fixed four vessels for short T/C period, i.e. 4-6 months, at around USD 36,000-37,000 daily. – In the Atlantic, Transgrain is quite active, taking several vesels mainly for Middle East destinations. The above charterers have fixed M/V «Maritime Christine,» 76,295 dwt, built 2004, delivery Passero beginning of February, trip via East Coast South America, redelivery Far East, at USD 38,500 daily. – In the Far East, Hanjin has fixed M/V «Semeli,» 75,941 dwt, built 2001, delivery mid-February Korea, trip via China, redelivery Japan, at USD 28,000 daily. – On smaller sizes, IVS has fixed M/V «Al Khaliq,» 38,300 dwt, built 1984, delivery West Africa February 10-12, trip via South Africa, redelivery UKC, at USD 25,000 daily.