Vietnam’s HTK Shipping has bought its first supramax from Kumiai Senpaku.
Quynh Duy Tran, HTK’s shipping and trading manager, told TradeWinds that the 58,600-dwt Neutrino (built 2012) will be delivered in October.
“We’re still looking to buy more supramax and ultramax vessels this year to expand our presence in these sectors,” Tran said.
Tran did not disclose how much HTK has paid for the Kawasaki Heavy Industries-built Neutrino, although brokers have valued the deal at $24m.
HTK’s vessels, Tran added, are engaged in international trading, including the US.
The Haiphong-based company is a privately owned shipping and commodities conglomerate dealing mainly in gypsum, cement and coal.
Its shipping division began in the early 2000s with a trio of small general cargo ships, but since 2013 it has been steadily building up a fleet of handysize bulkers that operate worldwide, carrying company and third-party cargoes.
Preference
A strong preference has been shown for Japanese-built ships.
Last October, HTK moved into the ultramax sector, buying the 61,400-dwt Lowlands Beacon (renamed HTK Galaxy, built 2011) from Hisamoto Kisen.
It followed this up in January with the purchase of the 61,500-dwt Ikan Senyur (renamed HTK Lavender, built 2010) from Japanese tonnage provider Ehime Kisen.
When the Neutrino is delivered, HTK’s fleet will consist of eight handysize bulkers of between 28,000 dwt and 38,000 dwt, two ultramaxes and one supramax. It still keeps one 4,400-dwt general cargo ship for domestic and regional trading.
HTK claims its vessels were the first Vietnamese-owned bulkers to operate in European waters. The HTX Galaxy was the company’s first ship to call at a US port when it visited Long Beach on its debut voyage under its new ownership.
HTK moves on average more than 5m tonnes of cargo per year, of which about half is carried in its own hulls and the rest in chartered vessels.
