Baltic Dry Index

The headline dry-bulk freight indicator published each business day by the Baltic Exchange in London. Since 1 March 2018 the BDI is a composite of three time-charter sub-index averages weighted 40 percent Capesize, 30 percent Panamax, and 30 percent Supramax, built from broker panel assessments on around 20 designated routes quoted in US dollars per day. It tracks the cost of moving raw materials such as iron ore, coal, and grain by sea, so it is read as a leading signal of industrial demand.