Coal, Iron Ore and Mineral Cargo Shipping
Coal, iron ore, bauxite and other minerals are heavy bulk cargoes that move in large parcels on dry bulk ships.
Cargoes in this group
Coal, iron ore, bauxite, alumina, manganese and other ores, phosphate rock, limestone and similar minerals.
Which ships carry them
Bulk carriers of all size classes. Large parcels often go on panamax and capesize ships, smaller or regional trades on handysize, handymax and supramax.
How the charter is arranged
A voyage charter for each parcel is common. Regular shippers may prefer a contract of affreightment for many shipments over a period; for COA, contact Shipfixing.
What to put in your request
Cargo and quantity, loading and discharging ports, the laycan, whether the loading port has draft limits, and the ship size you can accept.
Safety of the cargo
Coal can heat up in the hold on a long voyage and some grades give off gas, so the ship follows rules for ventilation and temperature checks. Iron ore fines and some other mineral cargoes can behave like a liquid if their moisture is too high, which is dangerous for the ship. The moisture is tested before loading and the master may refuse a cargo outside the limits. Write the moisture and the safety rules into the contract.
Main trades
The largest flows are iron ore from Australia and Brazil to China, and coal from Australia, Indonesia, Russia, the United States and South Africa to Asia and Europe. See the lane guides on Brazil iron ore and South Africa coal, and the guide to Capesize ships.
Search ships for your mineral cargo
Shipfixing connects charterers and ship operators. We scan for suitable ships. Voyage requests for ships below 10,000 DWT need no signup and no membership.
Related guides
More in cargo
Shipfixing is a digital platform. We are not a ship broker, ship agent or carrier, and we are not a party to any charter.