Shanghai: Chinese operators continue to climb the ranks of the world’s top breakbulk players according to a new report from consultants Dynamar yesterday.
“As perhaps would be expected, there have been notable changes in our ranking of the Top 25 operators in comparison to our 2010 study,” Dynamar wrote. “Some operators have seen their fleet capacity increase, some decrease, some have appeared and eight have even disappeared altogether. Three years may not be long, it appears to be time enough for the previous ranking to seem almost unrecognisable with, amongst others, eight new entries.” In all, only Gearbulk and Cosco Shipping have retained their positions at the top of the pile, occupying first and second place respectively.
China is especially to the fore in the semi-submersible vessel sector. Asian carriers are making “significant inroads”, Dynamar said, listing CCCC, Cosco Heavy Transport (a joint venture with Dutch NMA), STX Pan Ocean, TPI Mega Line, ZMPC Shipping and another four single-ship operators, all from China and South Korea who compe with six companies from Europe.
“It is perhaps no coincidence that South Korean, Japanese and Chinese engineers and
EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) companies have largely taken over from Western technicians and contractors in not only the Middle East region. Moreover, the Far East is increasingly developing as the source of project materials, rather than as a destination alone,” Dynamar wrote. [12/04/13]
