The Baltic Dry Index rose by 49 points to 2,854 on Monday, 9 November 2026, sources indicated.
The gain was recorded on the index compiled by the London-based Baltic Exchange, which surveys chartering agents globally to track the cost of moving dry bulk commodities. The figure reported on Monday reflects the daily snapshot that underpins the widely watched benchmark for seaborne bulk freight.
The Baltic Dry Index covers rates for the transportation of commodities such as coal, grain and iron ore, and it is constructed from assessments provided by agents in multiple trading centres. Because the index aggregates routes and vessel sizes, movements in its level are used as a barometer of demand for bulk shipping capacity rather than of any single cargo or voyage.
The Baltic Exchange compiles the index from a daily canvass of market participants, drawing on fixture data and assessed timecharter and voyage rates. That methodology means the index is updated continuously and can fluctuate with changes in chartering activity, vessel availability and short-term shifts in cargo flows.
What the index measures
The index is not a price for commodities themselves but a measure of freight rates across key bulk trades, including routes that carry coal, grain and iron ore. Movements in the index therefore reflect prevailing demand for ships capable of carrying those dry bulk cargoes and the supply of vessels in the trading fleet.
Because it aggregates different vessel classes and a variety of voyages, the Baltic Dry Index is best read as an indicator of overall bulk freight market conditions rather than a precise signal for any one commodity route. Analysts and market participants break the index down into component routes and size segments when they need more granular insight.
What a rise means for market participants
An increase in the index level typically indicates stronger demand for shipping capacity relative to supply, which can affect chartering costs for owners and employment costs for charterers. For exporters and importers of bulk commodities, higher freight rates can translate into increased transport bills and may feed into broader logistical costs.
Traders, shipowners and charterers use index movements when assessing short-term market dynamics and negotiating fixtures, while financial investors may monitor the index as part of their view on global trade activity. The index’s daily rhythm, based on live agent assessments, means it can respond quickly to changes in seasonal demand, port congestion or shifts in vessel availability.
Market watchers often treat single-day changes with caution because short-term noise can mask underlying trends; nevertheless, a repeated pattern of gains or losses in the index over several sessions is usually taken as a clearer signal about freight-market momentum. The rise recorded on Monday is one data point in that ongoing sequence of market readings.
reports provided the report of the November 9 movement, drawing attention to the Baltic Exchange's role as the compiler of the index and to the instrument’s function in representing costs for moving dry bulk commodities. The Baltic Dry Index remains a central reference for those tracking the health of international dry bulk shipping and the flows of the basic industrial commodities that underpin much maritime trade.