Greater China
Cosco receives $638m government subsidy for fleet optimisation
Shanghai: State-run shipping giant Cosco has announced that it has received a subsidy amounting to around RMB3.96bn ($638m) for the decommissioning and upgrading of vessels.
Cosco placed a series of major ship orders in 2015. Last month it ordered nine 20,000 teu containerships with four options split between three Chinese shipyards and last week it placed an order for two VLCCs and five products tankers at Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Corporation.
Ministry of Transport announced last week that ship scrapping subsidies for shipping lines that replace old vessels with newer, greener ones, would be extended to the end of 2017.