• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.359-366
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• 2022

While the Forward Freight Agreement (FFA) has emerged as an effective hedging tool since early 1990, the basis risk and cash flow distortions have been addressed as obstacles to the active use of FFAs. This research analyses the basis risk of FFAs and provides a feasible suggestion to reduce it. Basis risk is divided into timing basis, route basis, size basis, and low liquidity basis. The timing basis is defined as the difference between the physical hire, fixed on the specific contract date and the FFA settlement price, calculated by averaging spot rates for a certain period. Timing basis is considered the worst in eroding the effectiveness of FFAs. This paper suggests a change of hire payment criterion from contract date to 15-day moving average, as a means of mitigating the basis risk, and analyzed the effectiveness through historical simulation. The result revealed that the change is effective in mitigating the timing basis. This study delivers a meaningful implication to shipping practice in that the change of hire payment criterion mitigates the basis risk and eventually activates the use of FFAs in the future.