Secondhand activity stayed broad-based this week, with tankers dominated by a concentrated run of VLCC purchases and dry bulk trading across every size bracket from Capesize to Handysize.
The VLCC sector carried the week. ADNOC acquired five units in total. The 2017-built Seapassion, at 299,271 dwt, changed hands at USD 125 million, the highest price recorded in the sector this week. ADNOC also picked up two en bloc pairs: the 2015-built Delta Amazon and Delta Apollonia, each around 320,000 dwt, at USD 120 million apiece, and the older 2012-built Delta Angelica and Delta Glory, also near 320,000 dwt, at USD 116 million each. Separately, the 2016-built Donoussa, 299,999 dwt, sold to a Chinese buyer for USD 123 million, keeping large modern tonnage firmly in triple digits.
At the other end of the age curve, the 2003-built Grit, 298,555 dwt, sold to South Korean buyers for USD 50 million, a reminder of how steep the discount runs once a VLCC passes the twenty-year mark. On the smaller end, the 2009-built Anchor 18, a 19,971 dwt small tanker, sold to Chinese buyers for USD 16.4 million.
Newbuilding interest held up on the tanker side. Scorpio Tankers ordered two LR2 tankers of 115,000 dwt at USD 72.8 million each for 2029 delivery. Torm placed an order for MR tankers of 50,000 dwt, six firm plus two optional, at USD 46 million each for 2029-2030 delivery, while a separate buyer contracted two further 50,000 dwt MR tankers at approximately USD 52.5 million each for 2027 delivery. The spread between the two MR contract prices, roughly USD 6 million on comparable tonnage, points to yard slot and delivery timing mattering as much as size this cycle.
Dry bulk activity spanned the full size range. At the top end, the 2022-built Asanagi, 182,162 dwt, sold on forward delivery for USD 50 million, and the 2010-built Cape Condor, 180,253 dwt, changed hands at USD 39 million. The standout deal of the week came from three baby Capesize sisters, Anglo Alexandria, Anglo Jessica and Anglo Marie Louise, all 2010/2011-built at around 114,000 to 114,700 dwt, sold en bloc at USD 20 million each. Brokers described the level as a new benchmark for the size, a firm signal for owners holding comparable tonnage.
In the Kamsarmax bracket, the 2011-built Artvin and 2012-built Ordu, both around 81,700 to 81,800 dwt, sold to undisclosed buyers at USD 19.45 million apiece, while the 2012-built Velos Jasper, 82,167 dwt, sold to Chinese buyers for USD 23.5 million. The 2008-built Panamax G. B. Corrado, 77,061 dwt, held a firm USD 15 million.
Supramax and Ultramax business stayed steady through the middle of the size curve. The 2010-built Agios Nektarios I sold for USD 13.3 million, the 2013-built Lila Frostburg for USD 16 million, the 2011-built Nikos N for USD 15 million, the 2009-built Viva Eclipse for USD 11.75 million and the 2011-built Ebury Trader for USD 13 million, all in the 53,500 to 56,700 dwt range. Handysize units traded from USD 12 million to USD 19.8 million: the 2013-built Sakura Dream at USD 18.5 million, the 2015-built New Journey at USD 19.8 million, and the 2011-built Seamec Gallant, a smaller 32,289 dwt unit, at USD 12 million.
Newbuilding demand held firm across the sector. Cape Shipping ordered three Capesize bulkers of 181,000 dwt at USD 76 million each for late 2027 delivery, and COSCO placed Capesize orders for 210,000 dwt units, methanol and ammonia ready, at two separate Chinese yards at USD 78 million each for 2030 delivery. On the Ultramax side, Aruna Shipping ordered six units of 64,500 dwt at USD 35 million each, W Marine ordered three of 64,800 dwt at USD 33.5 million each, and Amoysailing contracted four Kamsarmax bulkers of 82,000 dwt for 2028 delivery.
Recycling saw a modest but constructive week. A 1996-built reefer, Frio Naruto, at 5,215 ldt, achieved USD 590 per ldt delivered India, a strong outcome that stood out against the broader tanker and bulker demolition range. A 1996-built containership, SSL Visakhapatnam, sold at USD 525 per ldt to Pakistan, and a 1994-built tanker, Buraaq, at 4,991 ldt, sold at USD 475 per ldt.
Across the recycling destinations, India firmed on tight domestic steel plate supply following the end of the monsoon rains, with recyclers positioning for a pickup in September. Chattogram in Bangladesh reopened its tide window for the first time since seasonal flooding disrupted beaching, restoring a route to market that had been closed for weeks, though firmer sentiment has yet to fully translate into higher vessel offers. Gadani in Pakistan recorded no new candidate arrivals for a second consecutive week despite the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz freeing up Gulf-positioned tonnage, as owners continued to favour the stronger bidding out of Bangladesh. Aliaga in Turkey stayed quiet, with local steel plate pricing holding within a narrow range and compliance-driven demand remaining a niche part of the broader market.
