FX.co ★ Baltic Dry Index Extends Slide Into 7th Day

The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk index, which measures freight rates for ships carrying dry commodities, fell for a seventh straight session on Tuesday, slipping 0.7% to 1,882 points — its lowest level since January 26. The decline came amid softer demand for iron ore shipments and the seasonal slowdown associated with the Lunar New Year. The capesize index, reflecting earnings for vessels that typically transport 150,000-ton cargoes such as iron ore and coal, dropped about 2.2% to a two-week low of 2,771 points. In contrast, the panamax index, which tracks ships that usually carry 60,000–70,000 tons of coal or grain, rose roughly 1.3% to 1,670 points, while the supramax index edged up 0.8% to 1,123 points.