Allseas Shipping Company and Ellerman City Liners are keeping the boxship charter market busy at a time when fixtures are few but rates remain strong.
The UK-based liner shipping newcomers have taken a brace of feeder ships to strengthen their fledgling liner services from Asia to Europe.
Allseas is taking the 1,740-teu Green Ace (built 2005) for two years at rates a shade shy of $50,000 per day with delivery in August, said European brokers.
The SFL Corp-controlled vessel, to be renamed Allseas Innovation, will operate in its own-brand liner service.
Similar steps are being made by Ellerman, which has built up its fleet to four vessels since starting operations in January.
The company is adding to its fleet with the fixture of the 2,700-teu Windswept (built 2010).
The Lomar Shipping-managed vessel has been taken for three years with delivery in August at around $47,000 per day.
That is a strong rate that is close to levels seen earlier this year, said brokers.
Alternative to large lines
Ellerman and Allseas figure among a handful of new or emerging players in the Asia-Europe trade.
Manchester-based Allseas operates five vessels on medium to long-term charters.
These include the 1,878-teu conbulker Allseas Pioneer (built 2003), which operates on its 30-day China Xpress service from China to the UK.
The company also imports from Bangladesh on its Asia Xpress service operating direct routes to reduce transit times.
Other chartered vessels include the 1,730-teu Amo (built 1997), 1,819-teu San Alfonso (built 2007) and 1,735-teu Seren (built 2011).
Allseas, which operates freight forwarder Allseas Global Logistics and liner agency DKT Allseas, is seeking to phase out its spot and voyage chartered vessels.
Similarly, Ellerman has built up a fleet of four chartered container ships.
These comprise the 5,060-teu SC Mara (built 2006), 2,450-teu Buxhansa (built 1998), 2,700-teu Cape Hellas (built 2021) and 3,534-teu Mona Lisa (built 2006).
These operate from Shanghai to Tilbury on its 28-day GB Express service.
Stronger market
The UK operators are not the only newcomers to the trade.
Kalypso Compagnia di Navigazione, which was launched at the start of the year as a subsidiary of Italian forwarder Rifline, has built up a fleet of six container ships.
These are the 1,809-teu Green Ocean (built 2019), 1,200-teu Cape Flores (built 2005), 686-teu Conmar Fjord (built 2002), 3,091-teu Hammonia Lipsia (built 2004), 1,368-teu Julius (built 2009) and 1,118-teu Songa Cheetah (built 2008).
These operate in services from China and Bangladesh to Italy.
The fixtures come at a time when sentiment in the charter market is strengthening in the run-up to the peak season.
That is reflected in a rise of 5% in six to 12-month charter rates in the past month, according to the New ConTex index.
The index, which measures rates for vessels from 1,100 teu through to 6,500 teu, rose 1% to 3,275 points for the week ending 16 June.
