US port fee plan aborted, ship owners continue to choose Chinese shipbuilding
Greek shipowner Angelakos (Hellas) is accelerating the renewal of its fleet and further expanding new shipbuilding projects in China.
The company said: "We are very pleased to announce the launch of the fifth round of the new shipbuilding project - a plan to build eight advanced and environmentally friendly 82,000 deadweight tonnage kamsarmax bulk carriers, with the industry's leading shipyards Nantong COSCO Shipping Kawasaki and Dalian COSCO Shipping Kawasaki as the partners." These advanced ship types will be delivered successively from 2025 to 2028, demonstrating our firm commitment to technological innovation, sustainable development and excellent operation.
According to Clarkson data, Angelakos seems to have recently placed two new orders of 82,000 deadweight tons with Nantong COSCO Shipping Kawasaki, which are scheduled for delivery in 2027 and 2028. Among the remaining six ships, Nantong COSCO Shipping Kawasaki and Dalian COSCO Shipping Kawasaki each undertake the construction of three ships, all of which are scheduled to be delivered in 2026. The relevant contracts were signed earlier.
Angelakos also disclosed that in January this year, the construction of its first vessel, NE485, at COSCO Shipping Kawasaki in Nantong, officially began.
Angelakos claims to be one of the leading Panamax bulk carrier operators in the Western region. The average age of its current fleet is just over four years, making it a representative of the young fleet.
The specific cost of this order was not disclosed. However, according to previous reports, Angelakos had negotiated with Dalian COSCO Shipping Kawasaki for three kamsarmax vessels to be delivered in 2026, with each vessel priced at approximately 39 million US dollars.
According to VesselsValue, Angelakos' current bulk carrier fleet is valued at $522 million, including 10 kamsarmax vessels and 2 ultramax vessels.
Despite the current highly tense geopolitical situation and the additional port charges imposed by the United States on Chinese ships, Angelakos still firmly chooses to place orders and build ships in China. This profoundly demonstrates that beyond the hustle and bustle of geopolitical games, market logic remains the most fundamental compass for shipping decisions.
From an economic perspective, Chinese shipyards still maintain an unrivaled cost-performance advantage in mainstream bulk carrier types such as kamsarmax. Whether it is the construction period, cost, maturity of ship types, or the cooperation experience with classification societies, large Chinese shipbuilding enterprises remain the first choice for global buyers. Under the current situation where shipowners generally face financing pressure and rising operating costs, it is particularly important to control the construction cost within a reasonable range.
From the perspective of policy impact, although the port charge policy of the United States poses certain challenges to the attractiveness of China's shipbuilding, it is more like a political gesture rather than a decisive factor in the market. There is still much room for maneuver as to whether the port surcharges will eventually be passed on to shipowners. More importantly, most European and Asian shipowners do not take the political trends in the United States as the sole guide for investment. As a family shipping enterprise with a Greek background, Angelakos makes decisions that are closer to market rules and the logic of capital returns rather than blindly following the trend.
Angelakos' actions also reflect the solid position of China's shipbuilding industry in the global shipping industry chain. Even in the face of geopolitical pressure from the West, Chinese shipyards can still win the favor of the high-end market by virtue of their scale, experience and cost control. This choice of "voting with one's feet" is the most powerful endorsement of China's production capacity strength.
The company said: "We are very pleased to announce the launch of the fifth round of the new shipbuilding project - a plan to build eight advanced and environmentally friendly 82,000 deadweight tonnage kamsarmax bulk carriers, with the industry's leading shipyards Nantong COSCO Shipping Kawasaki and Dalian COSCO Shipping Kawasaki as the partners." These advanced ship types will be delivered successively from 2025 to 2028, demonstrating our firm commitment to technological innovation, sustainable development and excellent operation.
According to Clarkson data, Angelakos seems to have recently placed two new orders of 82,000 deadweight tons with Nantong COSCO Shipping Kawasaki, which are scheduled for delivery in 2027 and 2028. Among the remaining six ships, Nantong COSCO Shipping Kawasaki and Dalian COSCO Shipping Kawasaki each undertake the construction of three ships, all of which are scheduled to be delivered in 2026. The relevant contracts were signed earlier.
Angelakos also disclosed that in January this year, the construction of its first vessel, NE485, at COSCO Shipping Kawasaki in Nantong, officially began.
Angelakos claims to be one of the leading Panamax bulk carrier operators in the Western region. The average age of its current fleet is just over four years, making it a representative of the young fleet.
The specific cost of this order was not disclosed. However, according to previous reports, Angelakos had negotiated with Dalian COSCO Shipping Kawasaki for three kamsarmax vessels to be delivered in 2026, with each vessel priced at approximately 39 million US dollars.
According to VesselsValue, Angelakos' current bulk carrier fleet is valued at $522 million, including 10 kamsarmax vessels and 2 ultramax vessels.
Despite the current highly tense geopolitical situation and the additional port charges imposed by the United States on Chinese ships, Angelakos still firmly chooses to place orders and build ships in China. This profoundly demonstrates that beyond the hustle and bustle of geopolitical games, market logic remains the most fundamental compass for shipping decisions.
From an economic perspective, Chinese shipyards still maintain an unrivaled cost-performance advantage in mainstream bulk carrier types such as kamsarmax. Whether it is the construction period, cost, maturity of ship types, or the cooperation experience with classification societies, large Chinese shipbuilding enterprises remain the first choice for global buyers. Under the current situation where shipowners generally face financing pressure and rising operating costs, it is particularly important to control the construction cost within a reasonable range.
From the perspective of policy impact, although the port charge policy of the United States poses certain challenges to the attractiveness of China's shipbuilding, it is more like a political gesture rather than a decisive factor in the market. There is still much room for maneuver as to whether the port surcharges will eventually be passed on to shipowners. More importantly, most European and Asian shipowners do not take the political trends in the United States as the sole guide for investment. As a family shipping enterprise with a Greek background, Angelakos makes decisions that are closer to market rules and the logic of capital returns rather than blindly following the trend.
Angelakos' actions also reflect the solid position of China's shipbuilding industry in the global shipping industry chain. Even in the face of geopolitical pressure from the West, Chinese shipyards can still win the favor of the high-end market by virtue of their scale, experience and cost control. This choice of "voting with one's feet" is the most powerful endorsement of China's production capacity strength.
