EDITORIAL NO 035 | 2021

The generally quiet summer period for newbuilding orders continued this week but Chinese and South Korean yards achieved some new business. Chinese deals included feeder boxships and talks with a European customer about a US$100 million container ship order. A new project for specialist vessels to transport carbon dioxide was launched in South Korea with Korean yards also winning orders for gas carriers for charter to a leading commodity trader. A US$260 million contract for an unusual gas transhipment vessel was reported in Russia. In Europe, a design order for environment-friendly ferries was awarded. Despite the order boom so far in 2021, South Korean yards have been cutting jobs.