Ultramax & Handysize market: A tale of two markets as regional imbalances reshape the freight landscape

By Iakovos (Jack) Archontakis
Senior Maritime Strategy Consultant-Chartering Executive & TMC MARITIME Commercial Director

Weekly Market Review & Forward Outlook | Week Ending 30 October 2026

A Market of Contrasts: Regional Divergence Takes Centre Stage

The week ending 30 October brought into sharper focus the increasingly fragmented nature of the Ultramax and Handysize markets, with freight performance diverging across the principal trading basins and the balance of negotiating power shifting according to regional tonnage availability and cargo demand.

Dry Bulk Market Holds Its Course as Kamsarmaxes Suffer Double-Digit Weekly Losses

Weekly Market Report & Forward Outlook Week ending 30 October 2026

By Iakovos (Jack) Archontakis
Senior Maritime Strategy Consultant-Chartering Executive & TMC MARITIME  Commercial Director

and

Dr Fotios-Evangelos Karlis

Maritime Executive & Shipping Consultant

BDI Edges Higher, but Diverging Vessel Performance Reveals an Uneven Market

The dry bulk market maintained a broadly steady course over the past week, although performance across the various vessel segments remained uneven.

The first ever international blue economy summit comes to Genoa, 16–19 November

Registration is now officially open for BEST – The Blue Economy Summit & Trade Show, the international event dedicated to the blue economy, taking place in Genoa from Monday 16 to Thursday 19 November 2026 at the Blue Pavilion – Jean Nouvel Pavilion, at the Waterfront di Levante. Attendance is free, but registration via the event's official website is required.

Moore Maritime Index (MMI) – 2025 Results

Moore Maritime Index (“MMI”), a database containing operating costs and revenues from more than 1,500 vessels, has been updated and is available with the 2025 data.

Explora Journeys and Fincantieri celebrate double maritime milestone as fleet expansion continues

Explora Journeys, the luxury ocean travel brand of MSC Group, today marked two important milestones in the construction of its fleet at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa, Italy. The double ceremony celebrated the float out of EXPLORA V and the coin ceremony of EXPLORA VI, the fifth and sixth ships in the brand’s fleet.

Russian Diesel Returns: A New Atlantic Trade Dynamic

The latest developments in US–Russian energy relations could mark another turning point for the product tanker market, as Washington's decision to temporarily ease sanctions on Russian diesel opens the door to renewed trade flows between two countries whose energy relationship has been severely restricted since 2022.