marine link image
REGISTER NOW FOR the Port of the Future Conference • 2 Days, 50 Ports • Houston, TX • March 24–25, 2026

Baltic Index Dips as Panamax Rates Slide

July 29, 2019

File Image: CREDIT AdobeStock / © Volodymyr Kyrylyuk
File Image: CREDIT AdobeStock / © Volodymyr Kyrylyuk

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index fell to a more than two-week low on Monday, weighed down by weaker rates for panamax vessels.

The Baltic index, which tracks rates for ships ferrying dry bulk commodities, fell 0.8%, or 15 points, to 1,922 points, its lowest since July 12. Nevertheless, the capesize index rose 13 points, or 0.4%, to 3,660 points. Average daily earnings for capesizes, which typically transport 170,000 tonne-180,000 tonne cargoes such as iron ore and coal, rose $72 to $27,217.

The panamax index fell 59 points, or nearly 3%, to its lowest in two weeks at 2,050 points. Average daily earnings for panamaxes, which usually carry coal or grain cargoes of about 60,000 tonnes to 70,000 tonnes, decreased $470 to $16,399.

The supramax index fell 9 points to 996 points.

Reporting by Eileen Soreng

Logistics News

Sailors’ Society Releases Latest Cadet Report, Highlighting the Digital Seafarer Generation

Sailors’ Society Releases Latest Cadet Report, Highlighting the Digital Seafarer Generation

Japanese Consortium Plans Ammonia Bunkering Operations in Singapore

Japanese Consortium Plans Ammonia Bunkering Operations in Singapore

CK Hutchison Says Panama Missed Arbitration Response Deadline

CK Hutchison Says Panama Missed Arbitration Response Deadline

Port Houston Sees February Volume Increased by 4%

Port Houston Sees February Volume Increased by 4%

Subscribe for Maritime Logistics Professional E‑News

Panama minister hopes China's COSCO resumes operations at Balboa Port
US airline CEOs call on Congress to resolve the standoff and pay airport security personnel
Spirit Airlines will shrink its fleet to a third of the size it was before bankruptcy