Following a small decline in January, charter rates for MPP ships have recently started to rise again slightly. The outlook among carriers is also positive.
In its latest market report, Hamburg-based broker Toepfer Transport reports a continuation of the general sideways movement in rates – “despite the upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations, which usually lead to an approximately one-week standstill in import and export activities at Chinese ports”.
The TMI index published by Toepfer Transport shows a slight increase within the long-term trend: from USD 12,648 to USD 12,701. The index refers to time charter rates for the so-called workhorses of the industry: the F-Class multipurpose vessels with 12,500 tdw and 240 t crane capacity.
There are signs that activity in the Pacific trade was somewhat lower than expected in the first few weeks of the year. Nevertheless, most carriers are in a positive mood, it is said. For medium-term assessments, the broker asks about expectations for the next six and twelve months and maps them in the TMI-P6 and TMI-P12 indices. The former currently shows a plus of 0.42%, while the TMI-12 stands at +1.24% – and thus above the assessment of a month ago.
The market for newbuildings and second-hand vessels is also still very stable. Prices are unchanged compared to the previous month. According to the Toepfer Transport Observer, a new 9,000-tonner will cost $20.75 million, a 12,500-tonner $30 million and a 30,000-tonner $50.5 million.
For a ten-year-old 9,000-tonner, the benchmark remains at $9.75 million. For 12,500-ton trucks it is still $14.5 million, and for the larger units in the 30,000 tdw class the price is $23 million.
