Asia-Pacific Handysize freight rates stayed steady Tuesday as market participants were slowly returning from the Ramadan holidays, and shipping sources said a stable Supramax and a busy Far East market could be lending support.

“The Southeast Asia market is struggling while the Australian coast is still looking poor. The Far East market is looking pretty good with the support coming from steel cargoes,” a source with a Handysize shipowner said.

The source added that the fundamentals seem to be becoming a little more bullish, with the Far East market seeing coal and steel stems for Handysizes.

From the alumina freight market, the indications were heard in the $19-$20/mt range on the Bunbury/Kwinana to Lianyungang 30,000 mt route. While two charterers put the rate at $19-20/mt, one indicated the rate at $19/mt.

The key Bunbury/Kwinana to Lianyungang 30,000 mt alumina freight route was assessed unchanged at $19.50/mt.