Does the crash of dry bulk and offshore mean there will be more tanker newbuilding orders, or fewer? The answer depends on who you ask. The 'more' argument goes like this: dry bulk and offshore markets are now so catastrophic that there will be no orders in these categories for the foreseeable future. With rates also under pressure in the liquefied natural gas and container sectors, crude and product tankers are - by process of elimination - the vessels that will be built. Shipbuilders in Korea, Japan, and China and their respective governments' export credit agencies (ECAs) have a vested interest in offering shipowners attractive pricing and financing to fill empty yard slots with tanker newbuildings.
展开▼
