MEXICO: Ship owners have shifted their attention towards gas carriers during the course of the past week, as a number of deals in the newbuilding market arose. According to the latest weekly report from Allied Shipbroking, “gas carriers took center stage this week as the emergence of a number of VLGCs increased their orderbook tally while giving an essence of the bullish sentiment being noted in these large LPGs”.
Allied noted that “we also witnessed two orders for MR tankers, one placed by Stena Bulk at China’s CSSC group while the other being options declared by Scorpio Tankers which seems to be shifting its focus once again on its MR fleet. Nevertheless, the volume of activity is still marginal and with pressure still mounting on shipbuilders, further price drops were being noted on quoted figures by shipbuilders. It looks as though this slow downward trend will likely continue, especially for dry bulkers were activity this year has been almost negligible. The price gap between a newbuilding and a secondhand continues to remain wide, while the further drop in secondhand prices being noted is preventing any sort of catch up by shipbuilders despite the de-creases already noted since early September”.
In a separate weekly report, Clarkson Platou Hellas noted that Scorpio have extended their order at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard by declaring an option for four further 50,000 DWT MR Tankers. The quartet will all deliver within 2017 and the last vessel will be the 8th unit in the series at Ulsan – it is understood that these options were declared some months ago but only coming to light this week. In China, Sinotrans are reported to have placed an order for two firm 50,000 DWT MR Tankers at CSSC Offshore Marine (ex. GSI) for delivery in 2017. Pritchard-Gordon (UK) have announced and order for one firm plus one optional 6,850 DWT IMO-II Tankers at RMK Marine Shipyard in Turkey. The firm vessel is due for delivery in 2Q 2017 and the optional vessel due to be delivered within 2017, if declared. Krasnoye Sormovo have announced an order for two firm 6,980 DWT Tankers for Russian compatriot Volgotrans JSC. The vessels are due to deliver in 2017″.
Clarkson Platou Hellas also mentioned that “in the container market, China Shipping Nauticgreen Holdings have placed an order for six firm plus five optional 21,000 TEU
Container Carriers at Shanghai Waigaoqiao. The firm units will be delivered from the beginning of 2018 and go on long term charter to China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL). Clients of Costamare have announced an order for two firm 3,800 TEU at Jiangsu New Yangzijiang for delivery within 1H 2018. These are understood to be the two units from the four options declared by Hamburg Sud. It is also understood that the rest of the two was taken by Peter Dohle, also for delivery in 2018. Nordic Hamburg Shipping are reported to have signed contracts with Huatai Heavy Industry in China for four firm 1,400 TEU Container Carriers for delivery through 2017 and 2018. More orders to report from China, with Guangxin Shipbuilding & Heavy Industry receiving an order for four firm 300,000 CBF Reefer Container Carriers from Seatrade Shipmanagement. Three vessels will be delivered within 2017 while the last unit will deliver in 2018”.
