The newbuilding market is at a lull these days, as ship owners are focusing on two fronts, getting rid of excess dry bulk tonnage and snapping up bargains at the second hand sales market, while tanker owners are mostly riding out the current wave of economic uncertainty, as a result of the slowing down of the world’s economy and the newly added fear of a Brexit.
According to the latest weekly report from shipbroker Allied Shipbroking, in the newbuilding market, “a trickle here a trickle there and still short of anything noteworthy to keep this market alive. The relatively few number of orders continues to pound on the shipbuilding industry, while the few buyers in the market are taking their time, knowing that they hold the upper hand. There are talks circulating of an imminent order to be placed by French liner operator CMA CGM at South Korea’s big three shipbuilders for another set of ULCV container ships, though being at a preliminary stage, it is unknown for how many and at what price these will be booked when the time comes. The containership market is one of the few that can provide some sort of life line during the current market, as despite the lacking performance noted in the freight market, the paradoxical demand for new bigger ships created by the intense competition by liner operators keeps interest in the newbuilding market firm. These orders may well be few in number but usually provide a very good cash flow and good margins for the shipbuilder, often making the difference between survival and default”.
Meanwhile, in a separate report, which is an indication of the “drought” period that the newbuilding market is experiencing right now, shipbroker Clarkson Platou Hellas noted that it was “a relatively quiet week in the Newbuilding market with only one order to report. In Dry, U-Ming Marine Transport Corp. have announced placing an order at Oshima Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. for two firm 81,500 DWT Kamsarmax. It is understood that the deliveries for the duo are set throughout 2019 and 2020 from Saikai, Japan whilst pricing remains undisclosed. The Taiwanese owner already have experience of taking delivery of four 85,066 DWT Bulk Carriers from Oshima back in 2014 and 2015”, said the shipbroker.
In a report this week, Lion Shipbrokers noted on the S&P Market, that although this short dry bulk rally is a good opportunity for all real sellers out there to sell fast (as volatility prevails), “this week was rather dull, as we recorded just 7 transactions (2 capes, 1 supramax, 1 handymax & 3 handies). Prices are sliding further, as it is clearly evidenced in the sale of vintage cape KOHYOHSAN (172K BLT 2001 NKK/JAPAN) sold to Turks for $5 mill while seven months ago (July 2015) she was reported sold for double the money (i.e $10 mill). Four year old Diamond 53 design supramax ANNE KJERSTI (53K BLT 2012 HALONG/VIETNAM) has changed hands for the soft level of $6 mill, while Germans have purchased at auction handysize resale LONG FORTUNE (36K DELY JUNE 2016 EX- SHANDONG HUAHAI/CHINA) for just $6.75 mill. Daiichi controlled handy OCEAN KITE (37K BLT 2012 HYUNDAI MIPO/S.KOREA) went to Vietnamese buyers for $8.3-$8.5 mill, while her exact sister OCEAN JEWEL was committed one month ago for $8.9-$9 mill (about half a million more)”, said the shipbroker.
In the demolition market, Lion Shipbrokers noted that “the genocide of larger bulkers continues; 31 capers (including ore carriers) and 44 panamaxes have been torched since the begging of this year. Pakistan has secured the single skin FPSO unit FARIDAH (LDT 41,261) for the firm price of $245 per lt after several weeks of on/off negotiations basis advance payment in full prior her sailing from A.G. to Gadani’ shores. Bangladesh has snapped 2 VLOC units, namely RENATE (LDT 32,450) & WUGANG ORIENT (LDT 37,342) for $230 & $234 respectively (plus 3 capers and 1 or 2 panamaxes). The rest of the scrapped tonnage this week went to India, despite the continuous softening of the demo rates as Alang plots are quickly filling up (currently at 80% capacity).