Baltic Dry Index
a.k.a. BDI
A daily index of what it costs to ship bulk raw materials like iron ore, coal and grain by sea.
In plain English
A daily index of what it costs to ship bulk raw materials like iron ore, coal and grain by sea.
The Baltic Dry Index, published by the Baltic Exchange in London, tracks freight rates for big cargo ships carrying unpackaged raw materials.
Rising rates can mean strong demand for the stuff factories need, a possible early sign of global growth. But the supply of ships also swings the index, so it is a noisy clue rather than a forecast.
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