For each market BEISL produces an index, we begin with the Baltic’s own Freight Assessors.
Freight Assessors
A full description of their role and responsibilities is to be found in Section 9 of the GMB, but in essence they perform a critical control function ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the benchmarks. As Baltic employees they are fully trained and assessed on their working knowledge of the GMB and other Guides, and are subject to annual reviews and training programs to ensure they have the necessary skills, experience and knowledge of shipping and the GMB.
Panellists
Our Panellists contribute to index production by providing data not readily available to BEISL. A full description of their role and responsibilities is depicted in Section 7 of the GMB. Our panellists must be independent, competitive shipbrokers who do not invest in the markets they report on and are therefore free from conflicts of interest. They must be members of the Baltic Exchange and are bound by the relevant terms of the GMB and the Panellist Agreement. They must demonstrate they are actively engaged in the routes they wish to report on, with a sufficient number of relevant fixtures, and ensure the availability of appropriate individually-nominated brokers with a line of reporting every single publishing day.
Panellists will undergo a trial period whereby they will submit daily assessments subject to data analysis and Freight Assessor feedback regarding quality and KPI targets. These trial submissions are not included in the index calculation. If selected, the Panellist will be provided training before being onboarded.
These standards also apply to our BFA (Baltic Forward Assessment) Panellists. Access here the full list of Baltic Panellists.