HANSA 03-2018

Märkte | Markets
New Orders Container
Overall contracting activity
in the new building market
has been fairly low. The letters
of intent we reported have
been signed by Evergreen and
South Korean shipyard Samsung.
In addition to the twelve
11,000 TEU vessels which already
have been ordered at Imabari
during January, the contracts
for eight further vessels
at about 94,5 mill. $ each have
been signed during February.
In the smaller segments SITC
declared its order of two
2,400 TEU vessels at Yangzijiang
which brings their total
order to four firm vessels.
Singapore-based Eastern Pacific
has placed an order for
four plus four optional ships
at CSIC-Shanhaiguan. The
2,700 TEU vessels are hawked
to cost around 28.8 mill.$ each.
Secondhand Sales Container
The market for further trading
container vessels remained active
during January and February
with various transactions
to be observed. Even though
the supply of tonnage is not
enough to satiate buying demand,
this is contributing to
firming asset values.
Again, it was noticeable that
the ratio of vended feeder
vessels was particularly
high. MPC Container
Ships acquired another three
2,800 TEU boxships. The
price is said to be 32,3 mill.$.
Furthermore, the fast growing
containership owner has
bought another 14 ships – including
four 1,300 TEU ships,
four 1,500 TEU ones and a pair
of 1,800 TEU, 2,500 TEU and
2,800 TEU vessels in each case.
In the bigger segments, only
a couple of transactions were
concluded. One transaction
included the two 2004 built
5,576 TEU vessels »March«
and »Great«, which were
sold for an aggregate price of
22 mill. $ to Technomar.
Demolition Sales
The situation at the recycling
market for container vessels
remains unchanged – only a
few vessels were sold for scrap.
Nevertheless, an increment of
recycling sales could be observed.
The recent increment
might be attributed to relatively
strong scrap prices and the
firming world market price for
iron ore. During the last couple
of days, prices around 77 $ per
ton were achieved.
Jan Göldner
COMPASS
CONTAINER SHIP T/C MARKET
420
380
21.09.17
22.02.18
Month on Month438 +3.3 %
CONTAINER FREIGHT MARKET
WCI Shanghai-Rotterdam 1,740 $/FEU + 1.3 %
WCI Shanghai-Los Angeles 1,486 $/FEU + 2.8 %
Average rates spot/up to 4 weeks validity
WCI = World Container Index, supplier: Drewry
es firming up as well. A breakthrough appears
to have been achieved in the Atlantic
with the reported extension of the
5,040 TEU »CSL Virginia« at 11,500 $ for
one year by OOCL. Given the tight availability
of open tonnage, brokers were confident
that the 10,000 $-mark was going
to be reached also by smaller baby panamaxes
possibly by the end of February.
Reefer and shallow-draft wanted
In the 2,000-3,000 TEU »subpanamax«
classes, the focus was very much on very
modern economic types and high-reefer
vessels for the busy southern hemisphere
fruit export season. Rate levels for geared
2,500 TEU tonnage with increased reefer
intakes (600 plugs) seem to have quickly
moved up from 10,500 to 11,000 $ with
the reported fixture of the 2556 TEU
»Bomar Calais« to CMA CGM for
12 months. Another fixture that raised
eyebrows in the market in mid-February
was the fixture of the SDARI 2100 type
»Barry Trader« (2,190 TEU, built 2014)
at 14,900 for a Chittagong-related trade
to Sinokor. Gearless 2,700/2,800 types
gained a bit more ground as well and
latest discussions show hire rates getting
assessed at 9,700–9,800 $, up from
9,500 $, in Asia.
Below 2,000 TEU, progress has been
slow but steady and at differing speeds in
the main regional markets of Asia, Europe/Mediterranean
and Caribbean/US
Gulf. In the 1,700 TEU class, the Mediterranean
was leading the way with rates
of around 9,500 $ for standard designs, a
few hundred dollars higher than in other
markets. However, just as this issue
of HANSA goes to press, the torch has
been handed over the Caribbean where
the Kouan 1,800 type »Melboure Strait«
(1,795 TEU, built 2008) has become
the first vessel in this size to break the
10,000 $-barrier, with a 5–7 month extension
at 10,250 $ with operator King
Ocean. Meanwhile the most modern
1,700 TEU types (Topaz, SPP 1700) succeeded
in pushing rates to over 12,000 $
in Asia.
The feeder sector of 1,100 TEU and
smaller has been kept very busy as well, resulting
in successive increases for standard
geared 1,100 TEU ships (CV1100) in
Asia from mid to high $6,000’s and finally
above 7,000 $, as illustrated by the
4-7 month extension of the »Frisia Alster«
to Zim-affiliated Gold Star Line at 7,100 $.
Demand for smaller vessels below
1,100 TEU continued to be strong in all
regions, with brokers reporting full employment
for feeder ships in north Europe
ahead of the main extension season
in spring. The Caribbean soaked in further
tonnage from other regions amid
very high demand for vessels, with rate
levels reaching very high $8,000’s, according
to Ernst Russ Shipbroker. Reported
deals include the 6-month period
at 8,750 $ on the geared 997 TEU »Vega
Scorpion« fixed by Caribbean Feeder
Services (CFS). In Asia there were still
open requirements for 700 TEU vessels
amid very short supply, raising expectations
of a recovery in rates to mid/upper
5,000 $ levels.mph
DRY CARGO / BULK
Baltic Dry Index 1167 -4.1 %
Spot time charter averages ($/day)
Capesize 5TC average 13,512 - 3.0 %
Panamax 4TC average 11,529 - 3.7 %
Supramax 6TC average 10,008 - 3.1 %
Handysize 6TC average 7,756 - 8.5 %
Forward / ffa front month Mar ($/day)
Capesize 180k 16,730 + 48.0 %
Panamax 13,215 + 20.5 %
MPP
February ´17
$ 6,260
TMI
Toepfer's Multipurpose Index
February ´18
$ 6,929
The index is based on a 12,500 tdw MPP/HL »F-Type« vessel for a 6-12 months
TC and represents the monthly assessment from operators, owners and brokers.
TANKERS
Baltic Dirty Tanker Index 645 - 5.5 %
Baltic Clean Tanker Index 618 + 4.9 %
SHORTSEA / COASTER
Norbroker 3,500 dwt earnings est. 3,200 €/d - 4.5 %
HC Shortsea Index 19.38 + 0.9 %
ISTFIX Shortsea Index 850 - 3.2 %
Norbroker: spot t/c equivalent assessment basis round voyage North Sea/Baltic;
HC Shipping & Chartering index tracking spot freights on 5 intra-European
routes; Istfix Istanbul Freight Index covering spot freight ex Black Sea
Data per 22.02.2018, Alterations within four weeks
HANSA International Maritime Journal – 155. Jahrgang – 2018 – Nr. 3 13