Dry Bulk Market Returns to Path of Growth in Dry Bulk Market , Hellenic Shipping News 15/05/2026 T he story so far in 2026 has been quite a positive one for the dry bulk market. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Xclusiv said that “the first four months of 2026 have delivered an unambiguous message from the dry bulk freight market: the sharp correction that defined most of 2025 is firmly behind us, and the recovery now underway is not merely cyclical, but it is volume-driven, broad-based, and structurally compelling. Total dry bulk cargo volumes across the Janu-ary-to-April period reached 506.7 million tonnes in 2026, a 9.6% increase versus the 462.5 million tonnes recorded in the same period of 2025, and a 15.2% advance over the 439.8 million tonnes seen in the first four months of 2024. Each successive year has added a clear incremental layer to this growth trajectory, confirming that the demand side of the dry bulk equation has been quietly strengthen-ing even as freight rate volatility obscured the underlying picture”. Source: Xclusiv According to Xclusiv, “the monthly data adds important granularity. January opened the year with 126.8 million tonnes, representing a 15.6% year-on-year increase, the single largest monthly gain in the dataset. February followed at 118.7 million tonnes (+12.4%), sustaining the momentum and confirming that the uplift was not the product of a single cargo programme or origin port. March and April maintained strong absolute levels at 131.0 million and 130.1 million tonnes respective-ly, posting year-on-year advances of +1.4% and +10.3% against an already elevated 2025 base, particularly notable giv-en that March 2025 had itself been the strongest month of that year at 129.2 million tonnes”. The shipbroker added that “the freight market has tracked this demand recovery, albeit with the amplification typical of rate dynamics. Across the four-month period, the Capesize C5TC averaged approximately $24,953/day in 2026, an 82% improvem