Confusion reigns in bunker and shipping markets
Spent June 27-28 at the Platts Bunker & Residual Fuel Oil Conference in Houston, smoothly hosted by John-Laurent Tronche (managing editor, US oil markets). An array of in-house experts presented,...
View ArticleDry bulk market marked by sharp divergence of views
Maritime Strategies International (MSI), an independent research and consultancy firm, has forecasted a rebound in freight rates during Q4 2016 for Capesize and Panamax segments, largely driven by an...
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Container Index Revolution: Should it be embraced by carriers?
It is a fact that the wind of change does not smell the same to everyone. There are clear signs that the container industry is slowly creaking towards using price indexes in contracts, but some of the...
View ArticleHow does IMO bunker fuel reform add up for consumers?
The shipping industry looks set to be shaken up by the International Maritime Organization’s decision to cut global bunker sulfur limits to 0.5% in 2020. Most operators will be forced to buy cleaner,...
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Competition heats up in Chinese thermal coal import market
Indonesian mid-CV thermal coal appears to be getting the upper hand over high-ash Australian coal in a battle for supremacy in the Chinese imports market, according to an analysis of S&P Global...
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IMO 2020, a shipping regulation that may reshape global coal trade
It is not uncommon for people in various commodity sectors to believe that their markets exist in some kind of a happy bubble, where only the obvious supply and demand forces or targeted regulations...
View ArticleGaspirations: In pursuit of an LNG freight derivatives market
The commoditization of the global LNG market has had implications across several associated industries, ranging from the gas-fired power sector to seaborne gas transportation. Hence, it came as no...
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Why the container industry needs to replace BAF with a new pricing tool
The container industry has an elephant in the room. It’s big, smelly and has some serious boundary issues. Its name is the Bunker Adjustment Factor and recently it has grown so large that market...
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How much more metallurgical coal can China buy from the US?
The metallurgical coal market has been abuzz with chatter since reports last week of a $70 billion package proposed by China to narrow its significant trade deficit with the US. Among the range of...
View ArticleThe great scrubber conundrum
It’s been six months since my last 2020 dispatch. Since then, I’ve spent time at major industry gatherings in London (IP week) and Athens (Posidonia) and yet I’m just as uncertain about 2020 as I was...
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