China’s latest move in a trade tariff tit-for-tat with Donald Trump is awful timing for the seasonally weak dry cargo market, Pareto Securities says.

Washington and Beijing have been trading levies on goods during the past weeks with today’s 25% markup on US soybeans just the latest in a list of new charges.

Pareto’s Eirik Haavaldsen said the decision showed the unpredictability related to China in the dry bulk market.