Taiwanese liner operator Yang Ming has placed an order for four ultramax bulk carriers in Japan through its dry bulk subsidiary Kuang Ming Shipping.
In a stock exchange filing, Kuang Ming Shipping put the combined contract value at NT$4.9bn to NT$5.4bn (about $155m–$171m).
The programme includes two ultramax vessels split between Nihon Shipyard and Imabari Shipbuilding, with each ship priced at roughly NT$1.2bn to NT$1.4bn. A further two ultramaxes were booked at Oshima Shipbuilding together with Sumisho Marine, at similar price levels. Delivery dates were not disclosed.
Kuang Ming Shipping currently operates 11 bulk carriers. The fleet comprises 10 owned vessels ranging from ultramax to kamsarmax size, plus a capesize held on a long-term charter.
Founded in 1990, Kuang Ming Shipping initially worked as a booking agent supporting Yang Ming’s container business. It entered the dry bulk sector in 2008 as part of the group’s diversification.
The latest contracts are Kuang Ming Shipping’s first newbuilding orders in nearly a decade. Its previous newbuilding round involved four ultramax vessels ordered at Iwagi Zosen in 2014 and 2015, with deliveries completed between 2016 and 2018.
