THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE THE BULK CARRIER MARKET

By Michael J. Robson – Lalemant (USA) Inc.

When attempting to explain where the Bulk Carrier Market may be headed, it is often just as expedient to look to works of fiction (as paraphrased above from the sadly late Douglas Adams) than to pour over the myriad analyses, graphs, charts and pontifications available from sources around the galaxy. The entire shipping community is, as we all know, more secretive than the CIA, and more prone to fly in the face of conventional wisdom than any other business group anywhere. That said, the “raw” data of world fleet composition and the projections for the near future should give all a little pause to consider.

Hands up those who know how much the world shipping fleet is worth? Answer: $320.7bn. And what is the fleet’s new building replacement cost? Answer, $591.7bn. These are not statistics from the Guinness Book of Records. They are contained in “Global Shipping — An Investors’ Guide”, which has recently been published by UBS Warburg in an attempt to clarify our complex industry for newcomers. This is, in my opinion, a dangerous document.

This is only an excerpt of THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE THE BULK CARRIER MARKET

Content is restricted to subscribers. To continue reading please Log-In or view our subscription options.