A COAL carrier calls at the Port of Newcastle in Australia, the world’s largest coal-export facility. Owing to a record-long queue for loading the solid fuel used by power plants in the said port, transport costs for dry-bulk commodities, including have gone up. The Baltic Panamax Index rose 4.1 percent last week to 5,470, the highest since December 2004. The index measures the cost of hiring Panamax ships, the class of vessel that carries most of Newcastle’s exports. The line of ships waiting to load rose to 74 Tuesday, according to the port operator’s web site. --BLOOMBERG

SINGAPORE—Freight rates for dry-bulk commodities rose because of a record-long queue for loading at Newcastle, Australia, the world’s largest coal-export port.

The Baltic Panamax Index rose 4.1 percent last week to 5,470, the highest since December 2004. The index measures the cost of hiring Panamax ships, the class of vessel that carries most of Newcastle’s exports. The line of ships waiting to load rose to 74 Tuesday, according to the port operator’s web site.

Rio Tinto Group, BHP Billiton Ltd. and Xstrata Plc are trying to increase shipments of coal after China increased imports and cut exports to meet demand. Bottlenecks at the port and on the rail system in New South Wales are preventing miners from fulfilling orders, increasing costs for suppliers.

China, the world’s second-largest energy consumer, increased coal imports 53 percent to 5.67 million metric tons in March as exports fell 36 percent to 3.71 million tons, according to statistics released Tuesday.

Eighteen ships carrying coal left Newcastle in the week ended April 21, Newcastle Port said in an e-mailed report Tuesday.

Eleven ships headed to Japan, three to Taiwan, one each to Korea, Thailand and Malaysia. One ship sailed for an unknown port. The Baltic Dry Index, a measure of dry bulk freight rates across different ship sizes and routes compiled by London’s Baltic Exchange, has risen 33 percent this year on China’s demand for iron ore, coal and other commodities.

--Bloomberg

THE local shipping industry’s regu- latory body expects to earn more revenue since it plans to impose cargo load fees and other dues on vessels to improve its finances.

THE Australian Agency for International Development (AusAid) has given more money to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) so that it could implement the third phase of a project intended to improve security at Philippine ports and vessels.

FRANKFURT—Kuehne & Nagel International AG, the world’s biggest sea-freight forwarder, said first-quarter profit surged 28 percent as the company handled more air and ocean shipments and boosted sales of warehouse management services.

SINGAPORE—Freight rates for dry-bulk commodities rose because of a record-long queue for loading at Newcastle, Australia, the world’s largest coal-export port.