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Weekly Broker: Bulker scramble

Everyone in shipping is looking on enviously at the dry bulk sector. After so many false dawns over the past 12 years, the sector is finally taking off – with day after day of improving rates and analysts pointing towards a very solid year ahead. The scramble for secondhand bulker tonnage in all sizes shows no sign of easing – bulk carriers are a hot commodity.

Multiple shipbroking houses reported the sale of the 2007-built kamsarmax bulker Lady Giovi while Allied Shipbroking and Banchero Costa identified the buyer as Greek owner Polforce. The 81,000 dwt vessel has fetched a price of $16.3m.

Allied Shipbroking, Banchero Costa and Anchor Shipbroking all listed the sale of 2011-built 56,700 dwt supramax bulker RHL Varesia. The vessel has been committed to Chinese buyers for a price of around $10m.

Several shipbroking houses reported that Japanese owner Daiichi Chuo sold its 2014-built 56,100 dwt supramax bulker Summertime Dream while Allied Shipbroking identified the buyer as Greek owner Sea World Management. The Japanese-built vessel has fetched a price of $15.4m.

The tanker S&P market continues to be sluggish this week with limited deals concluded.

Seasure Shipbroking, Advanced Shipping & Trading, Intermodal and Anchor Shipbroking all reported the en bloc sale of 2013-built 50,000 dwt MR tankers Leopard Moon and Leopard Sun. Singapore-based Unicorn Shipping sold the vessels to Norwegian owner Sole Shipping for $21.4m each. The deal also include a seven-year buy-back arrangement.

Allied Shipbroking, Intermodal both reported that Swedish owner Stena Bulk sold the 2004-built 47,300 dwt MR tanker Stena Concert. The Croatian-built tanker is believed to have been sold to Middle Eastern buyers for $10m.

The secondhand containership market continues to be prosperous with charter market demand continuing to drive asset prices.

Braemar ACM Shipbroking reported that Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) has snapped two 925 teu sister vessel Perseus and Pictor from German owner Eicke Reederei for $5m each. Thurlestone also reported MSC has snapped up the 2,078 teu Marivia for $6.1m and the 1,730 teu Charlie for $6m.

“With a number of other discussions in their final stages, we expect to report further MSC purchases shortly,” Braemar said this week.

Allied Shipbroking and Intermodal reported that Chinese leasing house BoComm Leasing sold the 2008-built 908 teu CSCL Nagoya to Middle Eastern buyers for $5m.

Jason Jiang

Jason is one of the most prolific writers on the diverse China shipping & logistics industry and his access to the major maritime players with business in China has proved an invaluable source of exclusives. Having been working at Asia Shipping Media since inception, Jason is the chief correspondent of Splash and associate editor of Maritime CEO magazine. Previously he had written for a host of titles including Supply Chain Asia, Cargo Facts and Air Cargo Week.
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