After a net rise in the dry bulk carrier fleet of 37.8mdwt in 2009 (another new annual record), growth in tonnage supply accelerated in first quarter 2010. Surging newbuilding deliveries, plus far lower scrapping of older vessels, brought net fleet growth of 17.7mdwt in 1q10, based on preliminary figures. (By comparison, in 1q09, the equivalent figure had been just 3.4mdwt, amid far lower volumes of new ship deliveries and heightened scrapping of older tonnage). The resulting rise in the 1q10 trading fleet was further compounded by the return to active service of 4 ex-VLCCs, after their conversion to dry bulk carriage.
展开▼
