Container shipping is no longer a core business for the Hamburg shipping company F. Laeisz. However, its last four ships are earning good money for the time being.
With the “Porto” (built in 2010, 2,800 TEU), the fourth and last ship from the fleet of container ships remaining at Laesiz has also gone to the Chinese liner operator Hede International Shipping. This was announced by the shipping company in its “Fleet News”.
The Hong Kong-based shipping arm of the Tangshan Port Industrial Group (China) is paying US$28,000/day for the ship, according to brokers. There are certainly higher deals in this segment, but not necessarily for such long terms: The charter rate for the Laeisz freighter is guaranteed for 40 to 44 months from the middle of next year.
Laeisz benefits from the upturn in rates
Contrary to the old saying, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”, the company managed by Nikolaus H. Schües has now given all four remaining container ships to the same charter customer. This is a fast-growing, reliable shipping company “and we look forward to further expanding our relationship with this company,” says Laeisz.
In the course of the year, Hede’s three other ships had already been contracted at the same rates. Since then, they have been in service between China and the US West Coast. This concerns the “Posen” and the “Pona” (built in 2007, 2,741 TEU each)
Previously, the “Pontresina” (built in 2008, 2,646 TEU) was chartered in April for just US$18,500/day for a term of 23 months. The mark-up just six months later reflects the upturn in the market.
F. Laeisz celebrated its 200th anniversary last year. The shipping company, which made a name for itself with the Flying-P-Liner in the saltpetre trade, intends to focus on gas tankers and car carriers in future. Most recently, company boss Schües acquired a stake in the listed shipping company Diana Shipping.
