# Flat dry bulk rates can expect tonne-mile demand increase from

> Fitch expects dry-bulk freight rates to stay flat on average in 2019, with fleet growth of about 3%. Following the 90-day US-China tariff halt agreed by Trump and Xi, analysts say a settlement could boost tonne-mile demand as US grain and coal replace closer origins for China.

- Date: 2018-12-06 · published 2018-12-06T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: trade · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/61759-flat-dry-bulk-rates-can-expect-tonne-mile-demand-increase-from
- Commodities: [Ocean Grain Freight](https://feedsoft.ai/c/OCEANFRT.md), [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md), [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md)

## Why it matters

A possible shift of Chinese grain buying to US origins would lengthen voyages and lift tonne-mile demand, supporting freight rates and making US grain more costly to deliver than Brazilian or Black Sea supply. Fitch still sees risk that overall rates stay low.

## Read by commodity

- SOY: neutral
- CORN: neutral
- OCEANFRT: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| SOY | 2025-02-20 | [Freight rates climb on South American demand - Fastmarkets](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16965-freight-rates-climb-on-south-american-demand-fastmarkets.md) | -0.7% | -2.3% |
| SOY | 2021-11-02 | [Trade and US Agriculture: What to Expect from the Biden Administration \| American Enterprise Institute - AEI](https://feedsoft.ai/events/44032-trade-and-us-agriculture-what-to-expect-from-the-biden-administration-american.md) | -4.8% | -1.6% |
| SOY | 2021-05-28 | [Corn consolidates after surge on export demand - Markets - Business Recorder](https://feedsoft.ai/events/47116-corn-consolidates-after-surge-on-export-demand-markets-business-recorder.md) | +3.0% | -13.5% |
| SOY | 2024-09-23 | [Chinese imports of soybeans from the US in August increased by 70%](https://feedsoft.ai/events/14722-chinese-imports-of-soybeans-from-the-us-in-august-increased-by-70.md) | +5.3% | -4.2% |
| SOY | 2026-07-21 | [Global demand for soybean meal drives prices up in Brazil and the U.S.](https://feedsoft.ai/events/18436-global-demand-for-soybean-meal-drives-prices-up-in-brazil-and-the-u-s.md) | -1.4% | -2.0% |
| CORN | 2021-01-20 | [NIBULON continues to demonstrate new export achievements \| Dry Bulk](https://feedsoft.ai/events/48985-nibulon-continues-to-demonstrate-new-export-achievements-dry-bulk.md) | +3.1% | +2.1% |
| CORN | 2018-02-06 | [Last week export of grains from sea ports increased to 672k tons — Latifundist.com](https://feedsoft.ai/events/66361-last-week-export-of-grains-from-sea-ports-increased-to-672k-tons-latifundist-com.md) | +1.3% | +3.3% |
| CORN | 2025-02-20 | [Freight rates climb on South American demand - Fastmarkets](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16965-freight-rates-climb-on-south-american-demand-fastmarkets.md) | -5.1% | -2.4% |

## Sources

- seatrade-maritime.com: https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/dry-bulk/flat-dry-bulk-rates-can-expect-tonne-mile-demand-increase-from-china-us-tariff-truce

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.