TUMULTUOUS has become an overused word in the maritime press of late, particularly when it comes to the dry bulk sector.
Volatile, turbulent and confused have also been cropping up with alarming regularity in company reports, sparking concerns that we might be facing a serious tightening of availability in the synonym market very soon.
But fear not — it seems the pressure may soon be easing and shifting towards sustainability.
With the drama of recent unstable quarters behind them, companies are now seeking to reassure investors with promises of durable, firm and steady markets just round the corner.
Nowhere is this trend more noticeable than when talking about the all-important question of China. Having just stepped back from the brink of bankruptcy, Golden Ocean’s chief executive Herman Billung this week declared himself to be “a firm believer that Chinese growth is sustainable”.
US investment bank Dahlman Rose also joined the linguistic optimists this week with its prediction that China’s increasing demand for commodities would drive a positive trend in the dry bulk market. “Strong fundamentals” and other reassuring phrases are the key, it argued.
The trend is certainly an encouraging and noteworthy economic indicator, but there are still far too many among us desperately trying to find alternatives to words like blurred, ambiguous and vague.
