TRADE AND COMMODITIES

Volume of FFA trades predicted to double

THE VOLUME of dry bulk forward freight agreements (FFAs) traded this year is set to double compared with 2009 levels, according to Freight Investor Services.

Owners’ bonanza in Chinese coal shortage

WITH coal shortages starting to squeeze power supply in China and the country’s steel mills keen to secure iron ore stockpiles ahead of a new price agreement in April, capesize owners may have a bumper start to 2010.

African port coal stocks low after rail delays

RICHARDS Bay Coal Terminal’s stocks of the fuel are at their lowest in a year because deliveries by rail from mines are slower than the pace of exports, data from Africa’s biggest coal export facility shows.

Surge in price of iron ore

THE CASH price of iron ore delivered to China, the world’s biggest buyer, jumped to at least a 13-month high amid rising demand from steelmakers.