Shipping Indices¶

Strait of Hormuz

Approximately 20% of global oil and 30% of LNG passes through the Strait of Hormuz. Any closure significantly impacts shipping costs and global supply chains.

Current Indices¶

Index	Value	Description
Baltic Dry Index (BDI)	2,540	Dry bulk commodity shipping
Freightos Baltic Index (FBX)	$3,006	Container freight global average

Baltic Dry Index — History¶

xychart-beta
    title "Baltic Dry Index"
    x-axis ["01-19", "01-28", "02-09", "02-18", "03-02", "03-11"]
    y-axis "Points" 0 --> 2797
    line [1834, 1917, 1810, 1890, 1883, 2484]

Baltic Dry Index

Shipping News¶

2026-03-19 — Watch: Missile lands next to presenter during live report from Lebanon A missile struck near a BBC presenter during a live broadcast from Lebanon, underscoring the ongoing intensity of military operations in the region. The incident had no direct commodity market implications — no infrastructure, shipping routes, or energy facilities were referenced. For market watchers, the event serves only as a reminder of elevated geopolitical risk in the broader Middle East theater.
2026-03-19 — UK sets target to boost steel making and cut imports The UK government announced targets to increase domestic steel production and reduce reliance on imports, a move that could shift demand patterns for bulk shipping of steel and raw materials like iron ore and coking coal. The policy signals potential long-term changes to trade flows affecting dry bulk carriers on routes serving the UK market. However, the immediate impact on global commodity prices remains limited, as the UK accounts for a small share of global steel trade.
2026-03-17 — Baltic Dry Index jumps 40% on rerouting fears Dry bulk shipping rates have surged as vessels avoid the Persian Gulf, adding 10-14 days to voyage times and significantly increasing fuel costs. The BDI reached levels not seen since the pandemic shipping boom.

Last updated: 2026-03-20 | Sources: Baltic Exchange, Freightos