Dry-bulk markets were higher last week amid improved freight inquiries, tightening tonnage lists, and traders hoping for increased grain business in late November and early December. Despite hopes to the contrary, there has been essentially no confirmation of any U.S. grain export business to China. Furthermore, Chinese officials in transcripts from a press conference gave a very strange non-answer response when asked to confirm the 12- and 25-MMT soybean purchase agreement the Trump administration trumpeted. There has been, however, an increase in freight inquiries from East Coast South America (ECSA) to China. 

Capesize markets saw interest in the Pacific from miners and operators for late November/early December with volumes from...