Moving in on the heavy lift market

摘要

With oversupply and low freight rates in virtually every sector of the shipping industry, it is no surprise that roro and container companies have stepped up their efforts to capture more heavy lift, breakbulk and project cargo. In particular, competition has intensified at the 'lower' end of the heavy lift market, where ro-ro and container lines are most competitive. But the higher end of the heavy lift sector has also been under pressure, with, for instance, fewer bulk ship-loaders/unloaders ordered in the last few years as port operators have pulled back on their expansion plans following the decline of the commodities sectors.