Bulker owner-operator Pacific Basin Shipping still sees plenty of reasons to be optimistic about freight markets going forward, despite the barrage of macroeconomic bad news.

Freight markets for handysize and supramax bulk carriers — the sectors in which the Hong Kong-listed company specialises — saw a slowdown during the third quarter.

Demand for minor-bulk transportation by sea suffered knocks from increasing inflation and interest rates, slowing economic growth both globally and in China, where the construction sector has weakened and zero-Covid policies have impacted economic activity.