The decline in the Yangtze’s dry bulk market eased in April, with the Yangtze Dry Index closing at 803.79 on 30 April, according to the Yangtze River Administration under the Ministry of Transport. This represented an increase of 0.17 per cent over the previous month. The index for coal increased by 2.16 per cent to 655.94 compared with March. Shipping prices on the long haul routes from Sichuan and Chongqing to Nanjing and Shanghai rose to Rmb0.026 per ton km.

Imported iron ore levels increased on the low international shipping prices and rising demand for steel products such as rail tracks. But most steel plants are still utilising their stocks and are in no hurry to place iron ore orders with their trading partners, with the result that imports are piling up in ports along the Yangtze’s lower reaches. The index for metal ores declined by 2.93 per cent over the previous month to 832.90.

The index for building materials, however, rose sharply by 17.8 per cent over March to 1249.77 due to the increasing volumes of cargo going into the interior, particularly in support of continuing relief efforts for the Sichuan earthquake.

Among non-metal ores, phosphorite and sodium sulphate from the upper reaches have been in particularly strong demand. Shipping prices for other non-metal ores have been relatively stable with the index rising by 2.54 per cent to 958.46 compared with March.