Hand on heart: Do you know which bank is the world’s largest ship financier? Also an interesting question: How important are traditional banks still for shipowners?
Well, thanks to the tireless work of the experts at Petrofin Research, we now know the answer—at least for 2025. The market leader hails from neither China nor the USA, but from France: it is BNP Paribas, with a loan volume of $21.4 billion. China Exim takes second place, followed—lo and behold—by Germany’s KfW IPEX-Bank with $15.3 billion.
Just as interesting is another finding from the recently published analysis: bank-led ship financing has experienced a revival, rising for the first time in years—up 6% to $300.6 billion.
The accompanying explanation also offers a noteworthy insight: Donald Trump and his erratic trade policy. His threats against Chinese vessels—and those financed with Chinese leasing capital—have brought shipowners and banks closer together again. The strong upward trend among “non-bank” lenders seen in 2024 stalled temporarily, allowing banks to step into the breach with refinancing and new business.
According to Petrofin, Europe remains the most significant region overall—contrary to the frequently voiced assumption that Asian banks had overtaken their European counterparts—accounting for 50.4% of the loan volume held by the top 40 banks. The combined global portfolio of all banks—including local institutions—totaled $425 billion. This represents slightly more than 60% of the total global ship financing volume across all types of financing.
The figures for the past year are now in. By now, leasing firms and other alternative providers seem to have found their footing again. Yet, the question remains a contentious one: who is the right capital partner for fleet financing?
The truth likely lies somewhere in the middle. My take is that, given the uncertainty and the simmering trade conflict between Washington and Beijing, European banks will remain a highly significant factor—not least because a major fleet modernization drive is still on the horizon due to global environmental regulations. For the large number of small and medium-sized shipowners, the traditional route to a bank is easier than turning to leasing firms or capital markets. Whether these banks necessarily have to be European is an open question; the market will likely become more diverse. However, for the major players—who often lead the way—capital markets, investors, and leasing firms remain indispensable partners. They are here to stay.
What do you think the situation will look like in 2026? Let us know your thoughts!
Michael Meyer
Editor-in-Chief
HANSA International Maritime Journal &
HANSA.news global
