The baltic exchange and its fright index

History

Globally, the baltic exchange is the premier shipping exchange and provides independent shipping market information daily. The Baltic produces about 45 assessments of the freight values of various shipping routes each day.

The Baltic Freight Index (BFI) was introduced in 1985 to provide the settlement for the new freight futures market, BIFFEX. In the late 1990s the BFI was split into a number of different areas for greater transparency.

The Tanker Dirty Index (BDTI) and Tanker Clean Index (BCTI) were introduced in 1998, and in April 1999 the Baltic Cape Index (BCI) and the Baltic Panamax Index (BPI) became active. This was followed by the introduction of the Baltic Handy Index (BHI) in November 1997, which then changed the Baltic Handymax Index (BHMI) in 2001. In January 2006 the Baltic Supramax Index (BSI) superseded the BHMI as part of the general evolution of ship types. All routes are subject to be updated in the same way.

In January 2003 the Baltic Liquid Petroleum Gas Assessment (BLPG) was introduced and in 2004 the Baltic Sale and Purchase Assessment (BSPA) and the Baltic Demolition Assessment (BDA) were introduced.