Today’s snapshot — 2026-08-20
Top mover: US-origin HMS 80:20 CFR Turkey −$3.77 (−0.99%) to $375.21 — Fastmarkets cut all six deep-sea legs by the identical dollar, a chain-wide re-basing that reverses Tuesday’s freeze.
Notable prices:
- US-origin HMS 80:20 CFR Turkey = $375.21/t (-$3.77, -0.99%)
- Turkey shredded CFR = $387.71/t (-$3.77, -0.96%)
- Rotterdam HMS 80:20 FOB = $329.73/t (-$3.77, -1.13%)
- Iron ore KORE 61% Fe CFR Qingdao = $97.94/t (+$1.63, +1.69%)
Headline driver: The brief leads on energy and freight — Brent ~$92.82/bbl, a three-week high on a fifth straight rising session, Hormuz transits still severely impaired at nine, and the Rhine only marginally off record lows. Its ferrous read conflicts with the tape: the brief calls prompt Turkish physical stable, while Fastmarkets re-based every deep-sea leg −$3.77. Kallanish held HMS at $373.25 and lifted shredded +$2.00, so the publishers are split and “stable” is unconfirmed on the Fastmarkets tape.
Action signal: Hold freight reserves full and keep CFR validity at 24 hours — oil at a three-week high, surcharge stack intact. Don’t pay the firmer forward curve for prompt material without a named cargo.