The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk sea freight index (BDI) rose 79 points (3.3%) to 2,480, its highest since December 2023, supported by a surge in capesize vessel rates. The capesize index jumped 238 points (6%) to 4,236, with average daily earnings increasing $1,973 to $35,133.

Smaller segments showed mixed performance: the panamax index edged down 3 points to 1,962, with earnings slightly lower at $17,655, while the supramax index rose 2 points to 1,437. Iron ore futures were up on a softer dollar, though gains were limited by falling Chinese lump ore premiums, signaling weak steel demand.