昨天BT的文章：Baltic index hits lowest level in 14 monthsPublished July 15, 2010 Baltic index hits lowest level in 14 months (LONDON) The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, which tracks rates to ship dry commodities, fell to its lowest level in over 14 months again on Tuesday with slow activity set to continue in the coming weeks. The index, which gauges the cost of shipping commodities including iron ore, cement, grain, coal and fertiliser, fell 2.72 per cent, or 50 points, to 1,790 points and was at its lowest since April 30 last year. 'The market has continued to slide,' said Peter Norfolk, research director at broker FIS. 'Generally the tone is still very weak.' A combination of slower iron ore activity, weaker coal imports into China, easing port congestion and the end of South America's grains export season have weighed on freight rates in recent weeks. The Baltic index has had its worst run since 2008 and is over 55 per cent down since it first started dropping on May 27. 'Ongoing falls i (more...)