After refraining from placing any order for new ships for the past two years, the head of the Evergreen Group now sees the opportune time to order 100 new containerships in the near future and negotiations with shipbuilders are expected to start in May.
In 2007 and 2008 with high freight rates and tight spaces, shipowners scrambled to order for more new vessels with bigger capacities even when shipbuilding cost was unreasonably high. Chang said Evergreen was right in not jumping into the bandwagon when everybody was doing so.
According to the London-based Clarkson, the world’s largest shipbroker, a new vessel able to carry 3,500-TEU was worth US$38 million as of April 9, or 37% percent less than at the end of 2008.
