Reportage: Japanese Shipowners, Part 8 　第8回ルポルタージュ・日本船主　

“Who Knows: The Direction of Newbuilding Orders”

「Who Knows, 新造船発注の行方」

On February 3, Setsubun day, a trading house executive spoke up at a coffee shop near Tokyo Station.

“Newbuildings that are being delivered at present are still manageable. But looking ahead to around 2029, when vessels ordered from now will be delivered, the question is what will happen to the profitability of ships ordered at today’s newbuilding prices. One can also understand the financial realities facing shipowners who have no choice but to place new orders. It really is a case of ‘Who knows’,” he said.

(Reportage: Japanese Shipowners Reporting Team. Published every Friday.)

(The full article is available below in both English and Japanese. The Japanese version follows the English text.)

Key takeaways

→Newbuildings currently being delivered remain economically viable under existing market conditions.

→The profitability of vessels ordered at today’s elevated prices around 2029 remains highly uncertain. Japanese Shipowners face unavoidable pressure to place new orders despite unclear future returns.

ルポルタージュ・日本船主第8回「Who Knows, 新造船発注の行方」

　2月3日、節分の日、東京駅近くの喫茶店で商社関係者が口を開いた。

　「足元で竣工してくる新造船はまだ大丈夫だ。しかし、これから発注する新造船が竣工してくる2029年前後に、現在の新造船価格で発注した新造船の採算性がどうなるか。新造船を発注しなければならない船主の台所事情も理解できる。まさに“Who Knows”（そんなの誰にもわからないよ）という感じだ」

（ルポルタージュ・日本船主取材班。毎週金曜日配信）

（続きは英語と日本語で書かれた本文でお読みください。日本語の記事は英文記事に続いて掲載されています）