Key Takeaways:

Dry bulk markets are mixed this week with larger vessel classes seeing strong demand from iron ore and coal while Supramax and Handysize rates remain steady.  Congestion at the Panama Canal has eased but forward booking slots are showing signs of bottlenecks as draft levels and booking slots are reduced ahead of the El Nino weather event.  Reminder: daily Panama Canal transits will fall from 36 to 34 starting Friday, 4 September.  Attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and broader Persian Gulf increased this week with Iran and the U.S. trading blows and attacking tanker vessels. Mercifully, the Red Sea has been quiet with no new attacks reported in the region.

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