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28 April 2025 - Year XXIX
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FORUM of Shipping
and Logistics


Shipping and Shipbuilding Markets in 2002

I N D E X




The containership market in 2002


The freight market
 
Fleet growth versus demand
The operators
The fleet
The second-hand market

 

The year 2002 can be summed up as a year of convalescence, after the 2001 traumas, while 2003 is hopefully to see full health recovered ' at least in the absence of any unpredictable event.

Indeed, 2002 has been also a transitional year on another front, as new, stringent rules on container content monitoring and cargo manifests have been elaborated by the U.S. administration to prevent unwanted weapons entering the U.S. The year 2003 will see these rules coming into force.

During the implementation phase, hiccups will surely occur, resulting in ship delays. Carriers said that they will have to pass the costs of these measures onto shippers, although it is not yet clear if it will be through rate increases or through a 'U.S. cargo manifest' surcharge.
 
The freight market

2002 has been a mixed year, with varying fortunes witnessed by operators. Some of them expected to close the year with comfortable profits while others are deep in the red.

Charter rates for containerships have increased by around 75 % on average since the January 2002 lows. At least the rise lasted until November, when the winter season and its lower volumes of cargoes started to take effect.

Rates eased slightly during the last weeks of 2002, but were expected to rise again in the first quarter of 2003. Relatively strong rates can be anticipated for the next summer season, boosted by traditional high seasonal volumes and a well-balanced supply / demand ratio.

The larger the ship, the more volatile the rates. This is well illustrated by the fluctuation in rates for modern 3,500 teu ships, which plunged from $ 25 / 26,000 in the Summer 2000 to $ 10,000 in January 2002. They have recovered month after month in the first part of 2002 to stagnate around $ 17,500 in the second part of the year. Meanwhile, rates for 1,100 teu ships went down from $ 9,500 (summer 2000) to $ 5,250 (January 2002), and $ 7,000 / 7,500 during the last quarter 2002.

Having plunged under the $ 6,000 mark in January 2002, the rates for 1,700 teu ships -such as the B-170s- have risen to reach $ 9,500 in October 2002 before easing just under $ 9,000 at the year end. There is some way to go before flirting again with the $15,000 figure of the summer 2000.

The fleet of cellular ships over 1,000 teu identified as idle (not including those which underwent routine general repairs) has decreased from 160,000 / 180,000 teu during the first four months of 2002 to around 60,000 teu during the summer. Is was expected to increase slightly after the summer season, but it did not, thanks to the lock-out in the USWC ports, which has prolonged artificially the demand for 1,000 to 2,500 teu ships in order to scoop up the boxes left in Asia by delayed main-line ships. At the beginning of 2003, the idle fleet stood at 65,000 teu. Interestingly, there were no large ships identified as mothballed. The situation is indeed very different from one year ago.

Industrial production is rising again in most south east Asian countries while the export boom in China seems endless. As this region of the world generates high containerised cargo volumes, it governs the supply/demand balance in container transportation more than other regions.

In 2001, the world seaborne trade contracted by 1 %. It is now growing again. After a period of stalling during the winter 2001-2002, the demand in container transportation has, surprisingly, recovered above all expectations. The volume of containers carried at sea is expected to grow by 7 or 8 % in 2003, in line with growth rates observed in the 1990s.

The demand in container transportation may even surpass these figures. The cellular fleet has risen by 10.8 % per annum over the past 7 years. The way the market has absorbed this extra capacity is remarkable. So, with an expected cellular fleet growth of 'only' 7.5 % per annum for the years 2003 and 2004, the market will be on the owners side.

Another factor which may have a strong impact on rates is the trend of East Asian-U.S. cargoes shifting from the U.S. West Coast ports to the U.S. East Coast, to the detriment of rail 'landbridges'. The Panamax ships of 4,000+ teu are much sought after for the Far East-USEC services that have to transit the Panama Canal.

The longer transportation distance means that eight or nine ships are needed on such services instead of five or six for the Far East-USWC option. Assuming that, say, four new Far East-USEC routes are launched, it means that a dozen supplementary Panamax ships are needed. This can be sufficient to create a shortage of such ships, and could send the charter rates soaring for 4,000 teu ships.
 

Fleet growth versus demand

The fleet growth is expected to match the rise in demand, at least during the years 2003 and 2004. A tight market may well even develop if the 10 to 11 % growth in containership demand observed since the mid-1990s is to continue.

This spectacular growth rate of the cellular fleet will not be repeated in the two years to come. It will hover around 7.5 % (see accompanying table). This will lead to a fleet of 7 million teu in January 2005, up from 6 million teu in January 2003 and 3 million teu in January 1996.

In fact, to keep up with the average yearly increases of 7 % in the seaborne container trade observed during the past decade, the cellular fleet should have grown from 3 million teu in 1996 to 4.8 million teu in early 2003 (notwithstanding the increase in average ship speed and box handling productivity).

So, the extra 1.2 million teu of on board capacity added to reach the 6 million teu figure has been filled with goods which were either already containerised, but were moved on general cargo vessels or simply not containerised half a decade ago. Breakbulk liner services continue to fade away as the cargoes they carry shift to the box (see inset).

This leads to think that, in the first instance, owners and operators were right to invest so massively in container tonnage. However, the balance is fragile. Most operators are struggling in trying to make profits, and economic accidents are catastrophic for the bottom line.
  

The dwindling breakbulk services

As the container continues to make inroads into the breakbulk sector, the surviving regular conventional services see their volumes dwindle year after year, vanishing like fading stars. Each year brings it examples. In 2002, the U.S. Gulf-Brasil service operated by Brasilian operator Global Transporte Oceanico (GBTO) was closed. This service used to be run with up to five 17,000 dwt / 500 teu ships in the mid 1990s (mostly Astrakhan tonnage), then lost progressively its grip on the market as competitive container services were incessantly upgraded, up to the unavoidable weekly frequency and with unbeatable transit times. High volumes of specific cargoes (such as CKDs - Cars Knocked Down) and the boxes still carried on these multipurpose ships were more and more siphoned off by full container ships, while cheaper box rates helped to attract low value 'breakbulk' cargoes. And as the cargoes flee the conventional ships, less and less sailings were offered. Eventually, these services lost their remaining appeal with regular shippers.
 

As for the non-cellular fleet deployed on liner trades, it includes multipurpose cargo vessels, ro-ro ships and a few conbulkers. Some of these non- cellular ships are currently deployed on liner trades, and as far as they can be identified they total some 1,550 units of 100 teu and over, representing around 800,000 teu.

By comparison, in early 1996, the figure for these ships stood at around 2,600 units for almost 1.1 million teu. Thus, the non cellular component of the liner fleet has lost 1,050 ships for some 0.3 million teu in 6 or 7 years, which can be assumed to have shifted to cellular ships (and this is a maximum figure as many general cargo ships and ro-ros do not make full use of their teu capacity).

This still leaves us with a differential of almost 1 million teu, which can be assumed as having absorbed cargoes not yet containerised in the mid-1990s as well as empty boxes carried in larger quantities than ever before.

In addition, it can be said that these massive investments spurred competition so that box rates reached such low figures that the container sector now attracts low value cargoes or goods of a certain value, which were until recently cheaper to carry in conventional or bulk carrying tonnage, such as steel products, forest products or bagged sugar.
 

No reversal expected in the box rates downtrend

Should this trend continue, as there are still a lot of goods that could be containerised, container tonnage could be ordered massively and yet be filled. The question is of course the cost for carriers' It is a nonsense to carry waste paper on ships plying at 25 knots but such low value cargoes make a few bucks when repositioning otherwise empty boxes, which is better that nothing at all. Conversely, a lot of not so cheap consumer goods are carried at a cost representing a tiny fraction of their prices as displayed on the retail shelf.

The industry is still fragmented, with the 'Top 10 carriers' controlling roughly 50 % of the market. So there is room for bitter rivalry. Intense competition between carriers and the race for market share have driven rates down over the years, and there are no signs of a reversal of this trend. Instead, the container shipping industry is under constant pressure not only from shippers -which is natural- but also, more artificially, from regulators, which suspect every form of alliance or sharing agreements to generate cartel-like behaviour.

And with 4,000+ teu ships starting to find their way on North-South trades, the box rates are expected to plunge further in the long term on these trades, in corollary to the economies of scale that these large ships allow.
Fragmentation, competition pressure and the race to market share are powerful incentives for mergers and acquisitions. On the other hand, the destruction of value, which has followed large mergers in the recent past (in sectors ranging from the automotive industry to the telecom and steel industries) appears as a strong deterrent. There has been a lull in the consolidations since the late 1990s. A new round of mergers is inevitable. But who can dare say when it will happen, and in what context ?
 

The deadweight comes back in vogue

The cargoes which have shifted to the container over the recent years are generally significantly heavier than the cargoes traditionally stuffed in boxes. The deadweight capacity of containerships now takes on a greater significance than ever before. With most liner statistics focusing on teu, the deadweight capacity has been forgotten. It is now time to reinstate it. After all, the cellular fleet nom reaches 85 million dwt, which represents roughly 10 % of the deadweight tonnage of the world merchant fleet.

The traditional items carried by containers are light ones, both in their own nature (think of the volume to weight ratio of a TV set) and because of the packing used (think of the super light polyester pads which protect this same TV set in its bulky cardboard box) ' not to mention boxes full of Christmas balls which flow periodically out of China. Light boxes have now to share ship slots with boxes fully laden in weight.

Modern cellular ships are designed in such a way that the average load of teu carried stands at around 12 to 13 tons per teu, which leaves roughly 10 tons of cargo per teu after subtraction of the box tares, and allowance for bunker supplies.
Most of the time, ships are today fully laden in weight well before deck cargoes are complete. Fortunately, empty boxes have often to be repositioned on the legs where the average loaded box weight is high. Thus, deck cargoes are topped up with these empty boxes, provided that allowance has been planned to take their light weight into account.

The operators

The liner shipping industry is not as concentrated as other industrial sectors. It is scattered among some 300 operating groups operating 4,650 ships deployed on liner trades worldwide, representing 6.3 million teu at the closure of the year 2002, of which only 1 % were inactive, according to BRS-Alphaliner data.

The largest of them, Maersk-SeaLand, operates a capacity of 825,000 teu, representing 12 % of the global active capacity in teu terms. The next in size is MSC, with 6.8 % of the global capacity.

There have been only minor transactions in 2002. The most significant ones have been the sale by Andrew Weir & Co of most of its services to Hamburg-S'd (which bought the Ellerman Line) and CMA CGM (which bought MacAndrews and UBC), the sale by D'Amico di Navigazione of Italia Line to C.P. Ships and the sale by CSX of its container shipping activities to US investors. Interestingly, the ships owned by the sellers were not involved in the Andrew Weir and D'Amico deals, and were merely chartered in. Other transactions are summed up in the accompanying table.

There are larger deals in the offing. P&O Nedlloyd could become a target when it will be introduced on stock exchanges (which was postponed). APL, which suffers from heavy losses, is also prone to accept an M&A deal (although APL parent company NOL is to raise cash from the planned sale of its tanker subsidiary AET). The privatisations of Zim and S.C. India are still in the news, although they have stalled for political reasons.

East-West niche carriers are also downsizing their operations as they cannot compete with global organisations employing large, economic ships. In 2002, Trans Pacific Line (TPL) left the Asia-U.S. trade while Sinotrans left its Asia-Europe trade. Senator Linie has also left all its U.S.-related trades, which have been in fact shifted to its parent company Hanjin.
 


 

Operators : transactions and significant moves in 2002

Straight sales

  • Hamburg-S'd bought the Ellerman Line from Andrew Weir & Co.

  • CMA CGM bought MacAndrews and UBC from Andrew Weir & Co.

  • C.P. Ships bought Italia Line from D'Amico di Navigazione.

  • CSX Corp. (U.S.) reached an agreement to convey its domestic container shipping unit CSX Lines LLC to a venture formed with the Carlyle Group (effective 2003).

  • A.P. M'ller bought the liner division of Copenhagen-based Torm A/S D/S.

  • Navalmar Transportes Maritimo (Boggazzi Group) bought 50 % of the stock of Nordana Line A/S from Dannebrog.

  • CSAV bought the Norsul container shipping activities (Brasil), which were limited to its participation in the 'Good Hope Express'.

  • Sea Star Line (U.S.) bought Navieras de Puerto Rico (U.S.) from Holt (U.S.).

  • Tropical Shipping (U.S.) bought certain assets of Tecmarine Lines and TMX Logistics (U.S.).

  • Seaboard Marine (U.S.) bought the remaining services of Tecmarine (U.S.).

  • Wan Hai took over the customer base of Trans Pacific Line.

Transfers within operating groups

  • The Preussag Group bought the remaining 0.4 % of Hapag-Lloyd shares, giving it the whole control of the company.

  • Tschudi & Eitzen (Norway) gained 100% ownership of the Estonian Shg Co.

  • NYK completed its stake in TSK (its intra Asian arm), gaining 100% ownership.

  • Evergreen International Storage and Transport Corp. bought Uniglory (intra Asian arm of Evergreen) through a share swap.

Cessations of activity

  • International Shipping Line (ISL) was terminated after Belgium - based MCL Shipping (Maritime Chartering & Liner Shipping Company NV, which managed the ISL service) filed for bankruptcy (ISL operated a North Europe - West Africa breakbulk service).

  • Valuship ceased its activities after the failure of its  WCNA-Europe service.

Significant other moves

  • Senator Linie (Germany, 75 % Hanjin ownership) left all the services involving the U.S.

  • Sinotrans left the China-Europe trade.

  • Fu Hai Line halted its Far East-South Africa service.

  • Coral Container Line (Cuba) closed its own Med-Cuba service and opted for slot buying.

  • Global Transporte Oceanico (Brasil) closed it U.S. Gulf-Brazil multipurpose service.

  • Libyan carrier GNMTC ran into difficulties.

The fleet

The cellular fleet stood at 6,068,000 teu on 1st January 2003, shared between 3,044 ships. It has doubled during the past seven years, in teu terms, meaning that the average annual growth has been at roughly 10.5 %. In 2002, the growth reached 10.3 %.

Two hundred and one cellular ships were delivered during the year 2002, for a total capacity of 642,261 teu. At the same time, 59 cellular ships were withdrawn for 74,001 teu, leaving a net fleet increase of 568,260 teu.

Eighty two cellular ships were ordered for 363,000 teu, Their cumulated value is estimated at $3.6 billion. It is a far cry from the year 2000, when 1,038,000 teu were ordered for a total value of $11.5 billion (some of them were however cancelled in 2002, especially in Polish yards).

In 2003 and 2004, the annual growth should reach a relatively modest 7.5 %, based on the current orderbook in January 2003 and taking into account a deletion rate of 50,000 teu per annum.

The largest ships in service remain the 19 'Sovereign' class series vessels of Maersk-SeaLand, the capacity of which stands at around 8,000 teu (although advertised at 6,600 teu by A.P. M'ller). Four of them were delivered in 2002. A.P. M'ller has six 'large' ships on order, for delivery in 2003-2004. Their size is undisclosed and it is only when the first ship will be delivered that their real capacity can be appreciated. Meanwhile, Seaspan has ordered five ships of 8,100 teu at Samsung on behalf of a long term charter by China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL).

There are currently 28 ships of more than 7,000 teu in service, including 25 units owned by A.P. M'ller and three by Hapag-Lloyd. There are 29 more on order : six for A.P. M'ller/Maersk-SeaLand, eight for OOCL, five for Seaspan/CSCL, five for Rickmers Schiffahrts/Cosco, four for P&O Nedlloyd and the remaining ship for Hapag-Lloyd. German owners have engaged discussions with Hyundai for a series of ships of 8,450 teu.

With the exception of the six Maersk-SeaLand newbuildings, for which nothing is known, all the 7,000+ teu ships offer a breadth of 42,80 m, allowing the stowage on deck of 17 rows of boxes. This is no coincidence : most of the large terminals are fitted with gantry cranes with a 17-row or 18-row reach.

As for the six Maersk-SeaLand newbuildings for delivery this year and next, a breadth of 55 or 56 meters cannot be ruled out. It corresponds to 22 rows on deck, in line with the gantry cranes in which Maersk-SeaLand invested so much over the past three years for its own terminals. One can reasonably speculate that such an investment will be matched with the construction of adequate ships. That means the 10,000 teu barrier could be broken.

 

The containership second-hand market in 2002

 

2002 as a vintage was relatively modest but nonetheless respectable concerning the second-hand market activity, with some 135 containerships sold for a combined value of $ 1.56 billion. The relative weakness of the market can be explained for the most part by the quasi-non-existence of the German market (except the numerous orders of new ships), preoccupied by placing the 150 ships already in her portfolio with local independent investors. On the other hand, this year can be viewed as one of consolidation after several seasons rich in mergers and acquisitions.

The breakdown of the sales in 2002 quite accurately reflects the proportions of the existing fleet with 13 ships over 3,000 teu (of which 5 over 4,000 teu) sold, 30 ships between 2,000 and 3,000 teu, 50 ships 1,000 and 2,000 teu and 42 ships under 1,000 teu.

There were relatively few massive 'en bloc' sales this year, with the exception of the 11 ships built in 1995-1996 of 650 teu for Elite Shipping sold to the Danish operator Clipper for a global price of $ 110 million, and the 4 ships of 3,500 teu built in 1993-1994 of L+B sold to MSC following a bareboat charter for about $ 20.7 million each.

The Greek owner Technomar was extremely active this year with 5 ships bought in 2002 to bring his total to 13 (of which 4 GX-class, 4 G-class and 4 L-class) bought from Evergreen on a time charter back for 5 to 7 years.

The small number of ships scrapped this year is worth noting, 59 ships with a total containership capacity of 74,001 teu roughly 1 % of the world capacity. This phenomenon can largely be explained by a freight market, which on average was rising steadily throughout the year.

A large majority of business contracted in 2002 was combined with charter employments (longer or shorter depending on investment sizes) to the liner operators, which has now become a recurring feature in this sector's activity.

As to price variations over the year, it can be summarised by a rising curve, which saw all sectors appreciate by some 10 to 20 % compared to 2001. Naturally this trend is more or less pronounced according to the various type and size of ships. As to be expected the sale prices follow the tendency of the market, with immediate effect in the case of a jump in daily rates (which happened this year), whereas prices are bolstered up for a longer period in the case of falling freight rates. Consequently although we have seen rates drop as from November 2002 after the prolonged strike in ports which blocked a large number of ships on the U.S. West Coast, ship prices have nonetheless remained fairly stable over the last two months.
 

Ships under 1,000 teu

As usual with this size, buyers are fairly heterogeneous. Given their poor profit-earning capacity in terms of pure investment, it is rarely speculators but rather pure liner operators who buy these ships. The market price has remained very steady. The improvement in rates has helped reassure buyers as to the high prices being sought by sellers. It is in these conditions that we have seen the following:

  • 'Flemming Sif', 'Kathrin Sif' 9,750 dwt, 972 teu, 1990 Orskov, change hands at around $ 8.7 million each.
  • 'Green Breeze', 'Green Better' and 'Green Bridge', 512 teu, 1984 Hakodate, sold to Bangladesh buyers at around $ 2.5 million each.
  • 'Xin Hai Yi', 9,734 dwt, 612 teu, 1985 Japan, sold for $ 3 million in September 2002 to Chinese buyers.

Ships of 1,000 to 2,000 teu

The market took advantage of a favourable upsurge after having slumped in the doldrums during the course of 2001. A large number of ships on order which can take the place of sold units have been delivered or are on the point of being so. Sales have for the most part benefited from time charters back, covering the interim period up until the delivery of new ships awaited by the sellers. We can note for example :

  • 'Sagittarius' 23,051 dwt, 2001 Szczecinska, 1,730 teu, 20 knots on 50.5 t, sold by Costa Container Lines for $ 22 million in September to Lipsi Navigation.
  • 'Mapocho' 21,184 dwt, 1999 Hanjin, 1,620 teu, sold to CSAV for $ 17.4 million in September.
  • 'Iyo', 24,370 dwt, 1995 Shin Kurushima, 1,613 teu, 20 knots on 53 t, sold by Fair Wind Navigation to Tsakos for $ 13.3 million in December 2002.
  • 'Box Wave', 'Gallant Wave', 24,083 dwt, 1995 and 1996, Shin Kurushima, 1,510 teu, 19 knots on 45 t, sold in August to clients of Teo Shipping for $ 14 million each with a charter-party attached for 18 months at $ 8,000 per day.
  • 'Kuo Lih', 18,050 dwt, 1995 Imabari, 1,471 teu, 17 knots on 31 t, sold in May to clients of Vroon for about $ 9.7 million, with a charter-party attached for 12 months at a level of $ 7,500 per day.
  • 'Lisboa', 'Tavira' and 'Miden Agan', 21,370 dwt, 1982 Warnowwerft, 1,438 teu, 19 knots on 62 t, sold in October by Sarlis Container Line for about $ 3 million each.

Ships of 2,000 to 3,000 teu

One can detect a certain hesitancy on the part of buyers in this market as the future does not have the backing of a fair number of operators. Some fear that the units of 2,500 teu will be replaced sooner or later by ships carrying more than 3,000 containers. This point of view is supported by an orderbook which carries relatively few ships of this size. It is true that 1999, 2000, and 2001 produced a large number of units between 2,000 and 2,800 teu. Operators have consequently been prudent, in concluding several operations mainly secured against firm employment:

  • 'P&O Nedlloyd Xiamen', 'Oriental Bay' and 'Grand Vision', 44,006 dwt, 59,285 dwt and 44,005 dwt, built in 1991, 1989, and 1991 at Daewoo, with a capacity of 2,797, 4,206, and 2,986 teu were sold en bloc on subjects to clients of Zodiac for $ 61 million.
  • 'MOL Victory' and 'MOL Independence', 40,638 dwt and 38,014 dwt, 1988 and 1986 Imabari, 2,890 and 2,571 teu, 22 knots, sold en bloc in October by Karakoram Maritima to clients of Danaos for $ 24 million.
  • 'MSC Europe', 45,647 dwt, 1986 Tsuneishi, 2,875 teu, 22.5 knots on 89.5 t, sold in June by Acasia Shipping to clients of Danaos for $ 12 million.
  • 'LT Glory', 'LT Grand', 'LT Globe', 43,310 dwt, 1984 Onomichi, 2,728 teu, 20.5 knots on 74 t, sold en bloc in December by Everglory Line to clients of Technomar for $ 13 million each with a charter-party attached for 5 years at a rate of $ 12,500 per day.
  • 'CMA CGM Claudel', 34,622 dwt, 2002 STX, 2,602 teu, sold by Efshipping to Schulte Group for $ 33.85 million, including a transfer of the charter-party to CMA CGM until February 2007 at $ 16,600 per day.
  • 'Christine Schulte', 33,871 dwt, 2001 Hyundai, 2,550 teu, sold in December by B. Schulte to German investors for $ 33.5 million, including a transfer a 4-year charter-party to CSAV at $ 16,750 per day.
  • 'Ambassador Bridge', 45,643 dwt, 1986 Tsuneishi, 2,518 teu, 22.5 knots on 89.5 t, sold in May to clients of Danaos for $ 11 million with a 18 to 24 month charter-party at $ 12,000 per day.

Ships over 3 000 teu

Only 13 sales were achieved out of more than 600 ships existing in this category. None or very few sellers showed themselves. The market was extremely nervous on the selling side, with owners reluctant to sell for fear of not finding a replacement unit and this, even if the sale prices were attractive. Consequently outside of the 'straight' purchase by MSC of 4 ships from L+B, already under charter to them, the others sales were all undertaken by operators / investors against charters back. These operations are more and more sought after not only by the traditional German investors, but also by owners such as Zodiac, Technomar, Danaos, Costamare'

  • 'CMA CGM Normandie', 59,600 dwt, 1991 Samsung, 4,734 teu, 24 knots on 158 t sold in September by CMA CGM to clients of Zodiac for $ 31 million with a 3-year charter back at $ 21,775 per day.
  • 'MSC Sarah', 'MSC Ingrid', and 'MSC Matilde', 67,795 dwt, 2000 Samsung, 4,400 teu, 25 knots, sold in March to Swiss buyers for $ 40 million each and fixed for a long period with MSC.
  • 'Peloponesian Pride', 53,240 dwt, 1986 Onomichi, 3,428 teu, 21 knots on 74.5 t, sold in August by Evergreen Marine to clients of Technomar for $ 21 million with a 7-year charter back at $ 15,500 per day.
  • 'MSC Martina', 'MSC Sophie', 'MSC Monica' and 'MSC Rossela', 43,600 dwt, 1993, 1994, 1993 and 1994 at Samsung, 3,424 teu, 22.5 knots on 99 t, sold in February by Hansa Asia to MSC for $ 20.7 each, subjects lifted following a bareboat charter with purchase option on the 4 ships.

* * *

Nearly all analysts at the end of 2001 were predicting a vintage 2002 somewhat depressed and a declining market. Once again as in 2000, the containership market surprised everybody. In a stagnant world economy, shipping lines were able to re-distribute the cards to be able to offer a service tailor-made to the situation. The specificity of containers allows such flexibility. It is also this adaptability that reassures investors, who have found a means of investment which insures regularity, safety (very few accidents), flexibility to market changes and - the icing on the cake - tax relief.

At the time of writing, good news has been announced in France regarding the introduction of 'tonnage tax' system. We can only hope that this tax incentive is as open and accessible as it has been in Germany, which thanks to this opening, has experienced the shipping activity that we all know.
 

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Rome
Zanetti: also ensure that the implementation process takes into account the operational needs of the industry
Intercargo and Intertanko raise concerns over shipping decarbonisation deal
London
The complexity of the measure adopted by the IMO and the unusual procedure from which non-governmental organizations were excluded were highlighted
Pirate attacks on ships to spike in first quarter of 2025
Pirate attacks on ships to spike in first quarter of 2025
London
Sharp increase in incidents in the Singapore Straits
Interferry welcomes IMO agreement on decarbonisation of shipping, but finds strategy too complex
Victoria/Piraeus
Greek Shipowners' Association disappointed by failure to recognise essential role of transition fuels such as LNG
International Labour Organization Recognizes Seafarers as Key Workers
London
ITF and ICS: a historic moment
CMA CGM to acquire 35% of Egypt's October Dry Port
Cairo
The company operates a dry port in the industrial and logistics zone near Cairo
MSC Group's TiL to Take Full Control of Hutchison Ports Terminals
New York
Bloomberg reports this, specifying that the Panamanian terminals would be jointly managed with BlackRock
Draft regulation on decarbonisation of shipping approved by MEPC includes mandatory fuel standard and pricing of greenhouse gas emissions
London/Washington/Brussels
The establishment of a Fund to collect resources deriving from the pricing of emissions is foreseen
Task force of five associations for the relaunch of Italian rail cargo
Rome
Initiative by Agens, Assoferr, Assologistica, Fercargo and Fermerci
MIT indicates Matteo Paroli as new president of the ports of Genoa and Savona-Vado
Rome/La Spezia
The La Spezia port community also requests a name for the Eastern Liguria Port Authority
Le Aziende informano
Il retrofit ibrido-elettrico di ABB guida i traghetti dei laghi italiani verso un futuro più sostenibile
Confitarma underlines the importance of the shipping decarbonisation strategy being defined at IMO
Rome
The Italian Confederation specifies that it shares some of the USA's concerns
WSC Reiterates Trump's Measures for National Maritime Industry Are Bad for U.S. Economy
Washington
Kramek: Ready to support the administration with constructive proposals
Fincantieri and Accenture establish joint venture Fincantieri Ingenium
Trieste/Milan
The aim is to drive the digital transformation of the ship product and port logistics
Meyer Werft has delivered the new luxury cruise ship Asuka III to NYK Cruises
Papenburg/Emden
It has a capacity of 744 passengers and 470 crew members
As Trump formalizes measures to revitalize America's maritime industry, the nation's ports face a dramatic decline in traffic
Washington/Geneva
Okonjo-Iweala (WTO): With the escalation of trade tensions between the US and China, the exchange of goods between the two economies could decrease up to 80%
CK Hutchison denies allegations of breach of concession contract for Panamanian ports of Cristóbal and Balboa
Panama
Panama Ports Company emphasizes that it has complied with all legal obligations and contractual commitments
US Does Not Participate in IMO Negotiations on Shipping Decarbonization, Threatens Reciprocal Measures
London
Expressed opposition to any attempt to impose economic measures on ships based on greenhouse gas emissions or fuel choice
T&E urges MEPC to agree clear and ambitious measures to decarbonise shipping
Brussels
It is necessary - the association underlines - to set binding objectives
Meyer Yachts will build an ultra-luxury residential mega yacht for Ulyssia Residences
Miami
The ship will be 320 meters long and will be built at the Papenburg shipyard
Neapolitan Grimaldi Group wins $1.3 billion order for nine ro-pax ships
Neapolitan Grimaldi Group wins $1.3 billion order for nine ro-pax ships
Helsinki/Naples
Order at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Weihai)
Viking orders two cruise ships from Fincantieri with option for two additional units
Los Angeles/Trieste
The two ships under construction in Ancona for the American brand will be the first in the world to be powered by hydrogen stored on board
Antonio Ranieri is the new maritime director of Liguria
Genoa
He takes over from Admiral Piero Pellizzari who was discharged from the service upon reaching the age limit
In the first quarter of 2025, China's CIMC recorded a 12.7% increase in container sales
Hong Kong
Revenues grew by +11.0%
Last year, the revenues of the Chinese group CMPort increased by +3.1%
Hong Kong
In the first three months of 2025, port terminals handled 36.4 million containers (+5.6%)
The financial statements of the AdSP of Western Liguria and the Central-Northern Tyrrhenian Sea have been approved
Genoa/Civitavecchia
Konecranes revenues increased by +7.7% in the first three months of 2025
Helsinki
343 million euros of new orders for port vehicles (+37.5%)
Kuehne+Nagel posts first quarter of growth
Schindellegi
The logistics group's net sales amounted to 6.33 billion Swiss francs (+14.9%)
Application by TDT (Grimaldi group) for the construction and management of 50% of the Terminal Darsena Europa in Livorno
Leghorn
The company has requested an extension of the duration of the current concession
In 2024, 58 million invested in the modernization of the ports of Livorno, Piombino and the island of Elba
Leghorn
The final budget and the annual report of the AdSP have been approved
EIB advice to strengthen climate resilience of the ports of Volos, Alexandroupolis and Patras
Luxembourg
It will assist port authorities in identifying and managing climate risks
In the first quarter the port of Valencia handled 1.3 million containers (+3.4%)
Valencia
Transhipment traffic decline
The Management Committee of the Central Tyrrhenian Sea Port Authority has unanimously approved the 2024 financial statement
Naples
SOS LOGistica will acquire the qualification of Third Sector Entity
Milan
The association currently has 74 members
In the first three months of 2025, freight traffic in the ports of Barcelona and Algeciras decreased
Barcelona/Algeciras
Hupac transfers intermodal service with Padua to Novara
Noise
Until now the other terminal was the one in Busto Arsizio
PSA SECH has operated the first 400-meter train at Parco Ferroviario Rugna
Genoa
Capacity up to 20 pairs of trains per day
The 2024 financial statement of the Eastern Liguria Port Authority was unanimously approved
The Spice
The war clearance preparatory to the expansion of the Ravano Terminal in La Spezia is nearing completion
The Spice
The AdSP has invested over 600 thousand euros in it
Francesco Rizzo appointed president of the AdSP of the Strait
Rome
He has repeatedly denounced the uselessness of the construction of the bridge over the Strait
US aircraft attack Yemeni port of Ras Isa
Tampa/Beirut
38 dead and over a hundred injured
In 2025 Stazioni Marittime predicts an increase in ferry and cruise traffic in the port of Genoa
MIT Mobility Report Highlights Rising Demand for Both Passengers and Freight
Rome
In the first quarter, cargo traffic in Russian ports decreased by -5.6%
St. Petersburg
Both dry goods (-5.3%) and liquid bulk (-5.8%) are decreasing
Andrea Giachero confirmed as president of Spediporto
Genoa
The board of directors of the association of Genoese freight forwarders has also been renewed for the three-year period 2025-2028
Study for monitoring vehicular traffic in the ports of Venice and Chioggia
Milan
Order awarded to Circle and Arelogik
In Italy, the rail freight transport sector is in deep trouble
Geneva
Fermerci calls for making traffic incentives structural and increasing and for refinancing the incentive for the purchase of locomotives and wagons
Global Maritime Forum report on optimising ship calls to reduce emissions
Copenhagen
Virtual arrival and just-in-time arrival approaches proposed
In the first quarter of this year, container traffic in the port of Gioia Tauro grew by +15.5%
Joy Taurus
Construction of the "Dockworker’s House" has begun
GNV has taken delivery of the second of four new ro-pax vessels in China
Genoa
"GNV Orion" will be able to accommodate 1,700 passengers and transport up to 3,080 linear metres of cargo
After ten quarters of decline, container traffic in the port of Hong Kong returns to growth
Hong Kong
In the first three months of this year 3.39 million TEUs were handled (+2.1%)
Fincantieri acquires stake in WSense
Rome
The ninth FREMM unit "Spartaco Schergat" delivered to the Italian Navy
The new edition of the Practical Manual of Maritime Traffic has been presented
Genoa
Written by Assagenti, it turns fifty
Container traffic at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles increased by 26.6% and 5.2% in the first quarter
Long Beach/Los Angeles
Trump's tariffs impact imminent
In the first three months of 2025, the port of Singapore handled 10.5 million containers (+5.8%)
Singapore
In weight, containerized traffic recorded a decrease of -1.4%
Regulations signed for LNG bunkering at Fincantieri shipyard in Genoa
Genoa
Define the methods of transferring fuel from ship to ship
Historic shipbuilding brands Uljanik and 3.Maj on the verge of extinction
Zagreb
The State confirms its intention to sell the shipbuilding activities at the two sites of Pula and Rijeka
Cambiaso Risso has completed the acquisition of the French Somecassur
Genoa
The transalpine company specializes in the insurance of super and mega yachts
New weekly train service between the port of Gioia Tauro and Verona
Joy Taurus/Verona
Operated by Medlog for the transport of refrigerated goods
EBRD looking for strategic partner for development of Moldovan river port of Giurgiulesti
London
International competition launched
SAILING LIST
Visual Sailing List
Departure ports
Arrival ports by:
- alphabetical order
- country
- geographical areas
Turkish ports set new first-quarter cargo traffic record
Ankara
Historic peak of cargo imported from abroad
In the first quarter of 2025, freight traffic in the port of Taranto grew by +37.6%
Taranto
Increase of 854 thousand tons of solid bulk and 265 thousand tons of conventional goods
DEME buys Havfram, a company that installs offshore wind farms
Second Right/Washington
Transaction worth approximately 900 million euros
Rail transport of convoys for Rome Metro started from Reggio Calabria
Rome
Contract awarded by Hitachi Rail to Mercitalia Rail
In 2024, the volumes handled by Magli Intermodal Service decreased by -2%
Rezzato
Turnover stable
Yang Ming records first decline in turnover in March after 14 months of growth
Keelung/Taipei
Evergreen and WHL revenue growth continues
The European Commission has approved the acquisition of Germany's Schenker by Denmark's DSV
Brussels
The impact on competition in the markets in which the two companies operate is considered limited
Fincantieri - Kayo Agreement to Promote the Development of the Shipbuilding and Naval Industry in Albania
Trieste
Possible creation of a hub for shipbuilding and refitting in the region
Recent slight reduction in logistics costs for new factory vehicles
Brussels
Montaresi (AdSP Liguria Orientale) awarded with the "Port Oscar"
Miami
The event has reached its eighteenth edition
In the first three months of 2025, containers carried by OOCL vessels increased by +9.3%
Hong Kong
Revenues up +16.8%
The AdSP of the Southern Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas wins in appeal against Zen Yacht
Joy Taurus
Company ordered to pay back rent
A large shipment of cocaine was seized in the port of Livorno
Leghorn
Two tons of drugs identified by Customs and Financial Police personnel
Navantia renews agreement with American cruise group Royal Caribbean
Miami
To date, the Cadiz shipyard has carried out maintenance, repair and refurbishment work on 45 of the group's ships.
Record cruise traffic expected in Italian ports this year
Miami
Cemar believes that growth will not stop even in 2026
HII-HHI Agreement to Accelerate US and South Korean Naval Production
National Harbor
The aim is to strengthen the naval industrial base of the two nations.
Panama Ports Company Accused of Violating Terms of Concession Agreement
Panama
Panama's Auditor General announced the filing of criminal charges
Colombo West International Terminal has become operational
Ahmedabad
It has a traffic capacity of 3.2 million TEUs
The conference "New sustainable marine fuels - Decarbonize Shipping" will be held in Genoa on Monday
Genoa
The new multifunctional border control structure PCF - PED/PDI Point completed in the port of Gioia Tauro
Joy Taurus
"Artificial Intelligence Comes to Port" Conference in Rome on Friday
Rome
It is promoted by the National Union of Port Enterprises
MSC Group's new cruise terminal inaugurated in Miami
Miami
It can accommodate three large ships at the same time
In February, traffic in the port of Ravenna increased by +2.1%
Ravenna
Bulk cargo increases, miscellaneous cargo declines
In 2024, Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane recorded a net loss of -208 million euros
Rome
Revenues up by +11.7%. The group's freight transported increased thanks to the acquisition of Exploris
Port of Genoa, Ente Bacini requests new spaces and renewal of the concession
Genoa
Conference to celebrate the centenary of the company
The public meeting of the Italian Port Terminal Operators Association will be held in Rome on June 19th
Genoa
VARD to build offshore dive vessel for Dong Fang Offshore
Alesund/Trieste
The contract is worth 113.5 million euros
PORTS
Italian Ports:
Ancona Genoa Ravenna
Augusta Gioia Tauro Salerno
Bari La Spezia Savona
Brindisi Leghorn Taranto
Cagliari Naples Trapani
Carrara Palermo Trieste
Civitavecchia Piombino Venice
Italian Interports: list World Ports: map
DATABASE
ShipownersShipbuilding and Shiprepairing Yards
ForwardersShip Suppliers
Shipping AgentsTruckers
MEETINGS
The conference "New sustainable marine fuels - Decarbonize Shipping" will be held in Genoa on Monday
Genoa
It will take place at the headquarters of the Port Authority of Genoa
"Artificial Intelligence Comes to Port" Conference in Rome on Friday
Rome
It is promoted by the National Union of Port Enterprises
››› Meetings File
PRESS REVIEW
Proposed 30% increase for port tariffs to be in phases, says Loke
(Free Malaysia Today)
Damen Mangalia Unionists Protest Friday Against Possible Closure
(The Romania Journal)
››› Press Review File
FORUM of Shipping
and Logistics
Relazione del presidente Nicola Zaccheo
Roma, 18 settembre 2024
››› File
Next week Italian ports will participate in Seatrade Cruise Global
Rome
Initiative brand: "CruiseItaly - One Country, Many Destinations"
MSC Group Cruise Terminal Officially Inaugurated in the Port of Barcelona
Barcelona
In 2027 it will be equipped with a cold ironing plant
Marcegaglia and Nova Marine Carriers form NovaMar Logistic joint venture
Lugano/Gazoldo of the Ippoliti
A general cargo ship will transport raw materials to the steel group's plants
Liebherr achieves record annual sales in the maritime and port crane segment
Bulls
Strong demand for offshore and container handling equipment
The annual conference "Programming, Operation and Management of Transport Networks" in Genoa
Genoa
It is dedicated to the transport and mobility sector
Last year, 656 ships underwent repair work in Greece
Piraeus
Increase of five units compared to 2023
Port of La Spezia, cruise ship docking simulations completed at Garibaldi West pier
The Spice
Assagenti conference on the future of the profession of maritime agent and broker
Genoa
It will be held tomorrow in Genoa
Stena Line presents a project for a ro-ro vessel capable of reducing energy consumption by at least 20%
Gothenburg
Introduced most of the innovative technologies currently available
Francesco Beltrano is the new general secretary of Uniport
Rome
He takes over from Paolo Ferrandino, who will continue to collaborate as a consultant
Saipem awarded new contracts in Middle East and Guyana
Milan
The total value of the orders is approximately 720 million dollars.
Conference in Genoa for the centenary of Ente Bacini
Genoa
The company was established on 19 February 1925
Interporto Bologna Board of Directors Renewed
Bentivoglio
Stefano Caliandro Appointed President. Loss of 1.7 million euros in 2024
NYK invests 76 billion yen in NYK Energy Ocean Corporation
Tokyo
The newco has taken over the activities of ENEOS Ocean
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