中远与希腊船东纠纷加剧
2011.08.16
一：头条新闻 (Headline news)
贸易风周刊 08月04日 对峙带来太多暗示 - 中远与希腊船东 Classic Maritime因2008市场最高峰时所签之高昂租金合约发生纠纷. 海岬型每天租金从2008年的 87000块跌到今天的8000块美元. 中远向 Classic Maritime 所租用之6条17万吨海岬型之租金差额达 7亿美元. 按惯例租家签署合约之后必需依照合约条款按时缴交租金, 但此次因差额巨大, 中远意欲跟船东谈判降低租金而延迟付款时间, 但船东竟因此在国外港口扣留中远船只…………
Stand-off carries huge implications
Renegotiation is a very Chinese way to deal with a bad market — but the Greeks’ refusal to talk has caused something of a deadlock.
The great 2008 market crash was seen as an opportunity rather than a threat in Shanghai.
It signaled a huge increase in sale-and-purchase (S&P) activity involving Chinese buyers.
Domestic shipping companies shed their reliance on ageing tonnage and acted on their dreams of becoming fully fledged global players.
Indeed, the brief market spike that followed saw some Chinese cash in by selling on newly acquired ships.
But for those not interested in asset play, there was a perception in China that this was time to jump into the shipping arena with both feet.
However, it has been a long time since 2008 and things have not quite played out as expected for the Chinese.
The new breed of shipowners may have their fleets but they do not currently have the charter rates to sustain them.
And the shipping players whose cargo requirements are simply too huge for their fleets to accommodate have fared even worse.
Cosco Qingdao lined up chartering agreements with six vessels owned by Greek owner George Economou worth a staggering $700m before the market crash.
So Cosco Qingdao is in the difficult position of having a high-cost, long-term chartering contract that is spanning the longest downturn the shipping markets have experienced in years.
The company went back to Economou for negotiation but received a firm “No” — and then had its ships arrested.
There are some in China who believe that the owners involved with such chartering agreements should be a little more flexible.
But there are possibly more market players who deal with the Chinese who are becoming increasingly frustrated with the games that are being played in boardrooms in the country. The tax issue was thrown up by Cosco Qingdao as a reason for renegotiation.
Two issues have come into play with this perceived lack of co-operation by the Chinese side in shipping deals.
Firstly, this is the first real market recession since China became arguably the most important player in terms of dry-bulk cargo.
And secondly, nobody possibly expected the market downturn to continue for as long as it has.
These two factors have led to a new way of dealing with chartering problems; a very Chinese way.
The Chinese know that overseas players are keen to strike up long-term relationships with them, given the growing importance of China and the continued boom in dry-bulk imports to its northern ports.
Therefore, the Chinese are quick to ask for renegotiations. In a sense, this is a type of blackmail that results in many European shipowners paying the ransom.
However, a very Greek response to this scenario is to arrest ships.
The standoff that has ensued is fascinating to watch if you are on the sidelines and many pundits expect that whichever side relents in this very Chinese response to the downturn will determine relationships in the market place for many years to come.
贸易风周刊 08月11日 中国与希腊准备谈判 -中远准备于9月份派出谈判高手前往雅典与希腊船东谈判. 观察家希望双方能以智惠头脑进行谈判.中远租用之外国船队约400-500艘, 其中有些船东经巳跟中远重谈合约, 但 Classic Maritime非但坚持不谈并扣留中远船只. 业界人士表示此次谈判结果将影响来日之租船市场………
Greece and China prepare to dance
Observers hope wiser heads will prevail in charter-renegotiation talks between Cosco and Greek owners.
Over the coming months, Greek owners will either resist or relent to the pressure to downsize the income on their bulkers.
Cosco is sending a delegation of some of its best negotiators to Athens in September to rewrite the terms on a number of lengthy charter contracts it has with Greek owners.
This is the rumour going around Piraeus this week as the Greek shipping industry attempts to digest the implications of the latest spat between George Economou and Cosco’s daughter company, Cosco Qingdao, over alleged unpaid hire.
To continue the same theme: the Chinese delegation had planned to visit Athens in August but rescheduled for September. If true, they probably realised the logistical nightmare they were in for. The delegation would have had to hop between the numerous islands and yachts spread across the Aegean Sea from which owners are conducting business this month with a phone in one hand and a laptop in the other, between swims and lunch with the wife and kids.
We will just have to wait until September to see if there is any truth to the rumour.
Economou’s legal case against Cosco Qingdao is only one of potentially many. Lawyers in Piraeus have begun comparing notes of their charter-payment disputes. Cosco is estimated to have taken in between 400 and 500 ships and chartering brokers in Piraeus say that payments for around 40 ships have ceased to flow into owners’s coffers.
There is already talk that one Greek owner with a substantial bulker fleet has renegotiated charter rates with Cosco to lower levels. Capesize experts say it was just a question of time before Cosco pulled the plug on contracts signed in early 2008 at $87,000 per day, as has been reported for some ships. These same capesizes will now be earning no more than $8,000 per day in the spot market.
Even if an owner was to relent and take as much as a 50% cut, the ships would still earn well over current market levels.
This is the “realistic approach”, says one bulker owner with a long memory.
But much depends on who the counter-party to the dispute is and this is where the logic of resisting the pressure comes into play.
贸易风周刊 08月11日 香港注册船只重新获得美国海岸警备队最高信誉, 船只可因此减少被港口国之检查. 这个信誉得来不易, 因船队保养必需到家.
Hong Kong-flag state regains prestigious US Coast Guard status
China’s state-run news agency Xinhua was all smiles recently when it proudly announced that Hong Kong-flag vessels had met a prestigious quality and safety standard.
Vessels from the territory have reclaimed their accreditation with the US Coast Guard (USCG)’s Qualship 21 programme.
“A flag state qualifies for Qualship 21 status after its ships have attained a USCG port-state control (PSC) three years’ rolling average-detention ratio of less than 1%, with at least 10 distinct arrivals each year,” the report said.
Marine officials are also relieved to have restored the city state’s position on the list, which will mean fewer inspections by US authorities.
They claim this is a direct result of a campaign to improve ship-safety standards. The measures constitute “proactive action to prevent detentions”, says Chan.
世界日报 08月11日 “瓦良格” 号航母首批女学员以六分仪测天. (图 1).
其他新闻
贸易风周刊 08月01-16日
1. -ITF代表美国 IBF工会与资方谈判而获得于3年内增加7.5%工资之合约.
2. -广东大鹏湾 LNG接收站即将收到来自中东也门 Balhaf港由 “Maersk Arwa” 承运之天然气.
3. -BW Maritime公司巳开始拒接从波斯湾到亚洲低运费和亏本之原油货载. 该公司拥有15艘VLCC.
4. -南京油轮今年上半年共亏损 3.2亿人民币.
希腊船务日报 08月01-16日
1. -本星期Classic Maritime在路易斯娜州扣留第2艘中远船只 “Jia Li Hai”, 抵偿 2700万美元租金.
2. -孟加拉政府允许拆船厂继续工作同时准备符合新的国际拆船环保公约.
3. -新加坡当局正在研究如船只使用北极航线而不经马六甲海峡所带来的影响.
4. -俄罗斯估计 2012年经北极航线运输之货物将达 500万吨.
5. -香港 Brightoil 光耀燃油供应商预测今年船用燃油价格将上调 8%.
6. -从 2012年元月一月开始所有进入中国水域超过一万总吨之船只必需具有一份与中国政府核批之排污清理公司所签署之合约.
劳氏船务 08月01-16日
1. -德国 DVB银行预测今年将有更多船东因未能付还贷款而被艮行接收他们之船只.
2. -因市场不景德国之 TUI集团暂停出售Hapag-Lloyd之股权.
3. -VLCC运费已跌到收支平衡点之下有些船东己考虑退出市场.
4. -市场不景气伦敦有些中介行巳难维持.
5. -美国 Matson公司因货源不足和燃油价上涨, 准备退出太平洋航线.
6. -小型1100-teu旧船三个月来价钱已下降40%.上星期成交价为每艘 600万美元.
7. -大西洋航线上 Panamax租金巳跌到每天 2152块美元.
8. -世界正处货箱短缺荒.
9. -中每海集团于国内融资 6.2亿美元, 但公司并未宣布用途.
二：造船 (Shipbuilding)
1. -马士基公司正在青岛北海造船厂进行一项工程把8600箱位船之驾台升高一层, 甲板上之货箱也随着加高一层. 在2014年改装好之8600船载量可增到 10,000箱位.
2. -淡水河谷今年将陆续接收4艘40万之 VLOC.
3.-加拿大Seaspan公司向江苏 Yangzi造船厂订造 3条 10,000-teu新船, 2014年交船.
4.-韩国HMM公司看好所后市向大宇造船厂订造5条 13,000-teu新船. 2014年交船.
5. -韩国Hanjin公司以 8.5亿美元向国内造船厂订造5条 13,000-teu新船.
6. -熔盛接到欧洲船东之 2条 6,600-teu 新船订单.
7.-日本 Namura 造船厂财政正处于生死关头.
三：海难 (Casualty)
1. -巴拿马货轮 “Rak Carrier” (1977) 30,000-dwt, 8月04日于孟买外海20海里处沉没. 船上装有6万吨煤炭从印尼到印度之 Dahej港. (图 2).
四：码头 (Terminal)
1. -业者对越南政府批准建造 LNG码头所需之10亿美元来源发生疑问.
五：买卖/租贷 (S/P & Chartering)
1. S & P
-“Rubin Power” (1996) 72326-dwt.Bulker usd 15.50M, unknown
-“Nikkei Eagle” (1995) 45347-dwt.Bulker usd 12.00M,unknown
-“Great Dream” (2004) 33745-dwt,Bulker usd 22.10M, unknown
-“Anna S.” (1985) 25525-dwt, Bulker usd 5.40M, China
-“Venus Frontier” (1996) 23956-dwt, Bulker usd 10.00M, unknown
2. 拆船
-“Glory Beijing” (1989) 207063-dwt usd 525/ldt, Bangladesh
-“Parkway” (1990)155547-dwt usd 572/ldt, India
-“Samar Spirit” (1992) 98640-dwt usd 525/ldt, India
-“Seabulk America” (1990) 46312-dwt usd 518/ldt, India
-“Sapphire II” (1978) 28668-dwt usd 445/ldt, China
3. TIMECHARTER
-“Marvelous” (2000) 167025 dwt dely Xingang spot 3 trips via EC Australia redel S.Korea $7500 daily – Polaris
-“Bao chang” (2010) 92500 dwt dely Tubarao 11/15 Sept trip redel S’pore-Japan range $23000 daily + $450000bb – L.Dreyfus
-“Grand Amanda” (2011) 79467 dwt dely psg Taiwan 15/20 Aug trip via Indonesia redel S.Korea $8250 daily - KCH
-“Far Eastern Venus” (2006) 53487 dwt dely Xiaocuo 21/30 Aug trip via Indonesia redel.China,int nickel ore, $19000 daily – cnr
4. PERIOD
-“Great Qin” (2010) 176000-dwt 4-6 months usd 10250/daily Swiss Marine
-“Ever Mighty” (1996) 75265-dwt 3-5 months usd 11000/daily cnr
-“Maria” (2011) 58407-dwt, 3-5 months. usd 13000/daily cnr
-“Sea Luck” (2004) 55452-dwt 12 months usd 12600/daily HMM
5. ORE
-Tbn 160000/10%, Dampier/ 青島, 20/23 Sept usd 8.05 fio, sc/30000sc -- Rio Tinto
-“Mangas” (2011) 160000/10%, Tubarao/ 青島, 10/20 Sept usd 19.75 fio, sc/30000sc -- Cargill
-“Zheng Jie” (1992) 200000/10%, Tubarao/ 青島, early Sept usd 19.25 fio, sc/30000sc -- Louis Dreyfus
6. Daily Summary of Baltic Exchange Dry Indices 2011.08.16
Baltic Exchange Dry Index BDI 1344 (up 38)
Baltic Exchange Capesize Index BCI 1951 (up 81)
Baltic Exchange Panamax Index BPI 1568 (up 27)
Baltic Exchange Supramax Index BSI 1282 (up 15)
Baltic Exchange Handysize Index BHSI 643 (up 2)
六：2011/08/16 船用燃油价格(每吨/usd)
来源: Bunkerworld
IFO 380 __IFO 180 MDO MGO
新加坡 658 658 900 910
鹿特丹 617 640 ----- 927
休士顿 620 660 ----- 949
洛杉矶 675 705 ----- 970
*****************************************************************************************************
备注: tbn = to be named ldt = light d/weight ton
usd = u.s.dollar mtpa = million ton per annum
cbm =cubic meter tpa =million metric ton per annu
