Fitch News

Ocean Yield has agreed to purchase four LR1 product tankers, to be constructed at Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) in China.The vessels will be built with a design enabling them to be converted to dual-fuel operation with methanol as fuel. Upon delivery (in 2026 and 2027), the vessels will commence 15-year bareboat charters to guaranteed subsidiaries of Braskem S.A., a global petrochemical company listed on the New York Stock Exchange and based in Brazil. Braskem S.A. currently has credit ratings of BBB- from S&P and Fitch…

After a bumper year for floating offshore wind farm tenders, the nascent industry is poised for explosive growth in the coming decade as countries strive to cut their carbon emissions. But it's unlikely to be all plain sailing. Rising costs and supply chain bottlenecks have hit some projects and without investment in infrastructure to launch the vast turbines and tow them to sea, hopes of harnessing the full power of the ocean's winds to hit climate targets could be dashed, industry experts say.

Russian troops were in the center of the Ukrainian port of Kherson on Thursday after a day of conflicting claims over whether Moscow had captured a major urban center for the first time in its eight-day invasion.Russia's defense ministry said it had captured Kherson on Wednesday but an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy responded that Ukrainian forces continued to defend the Black Sea port of about 250,000 people."We are a people who broke the enemy's plans in a week," Zelenskiy said in a video address.

Indonesia's coal supply situation remains critical, the state utility said, following the country's ban on exports of the fuel that drove up prices in top customer China on Tuesday.Indonesia, the world's top exporter of the coal used in power plants and China's largest overseas supplier, on Saturday announced the ban on exports during January to avoid outages at domestic generators. Indonesian authorities are set to reexamine the export ban on Wednesday.Late on Monday, Indonesia's state-owned electric utility Perusahan Listrik Negara (PLN) warned that "this critical period is not yet over"…

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices are poised for more gains as gas-hungry China guzzles cargoes to feed a rebound in economic growth while the easing of coronavirus-induced restrictions restores industrial demand in India.Higher oil and coal prices have also helped lift global gas prices with spot Asian LNG prices <LNG-AS> doubling in just three months."We believe this has been driven by a tightening of Asian LNG balances led by strong generation demand in southern China at the same time that South Korea reached peak nuclear maintenance…

China’s imports of light cycle oil (LCO) are set to fall in coming months as authorities crack down on its illicit trading and sales in South China, dealing a blow to the $10 billion market and to refiners in top supplier South Korea.China’s imports of the cheaper but more pollutive diesel blending fuel nearly doubled to record levels in 2020, but a clampdown in top oil consuming Guangdong province has curbed demand.The amount of South Korean LCO, a refinery by-product, to be loaded for shipment to China in May is down 60% from March while spot premiums have halved…

The blockage of the Suez Canal is likely to lead to large reinsurance claims, adding to upward pressure on marine reinsurance rates, James Vickers, chair of reinsurance broker Willis Re International, told Reuters.Formal investigations began this week into how the giant container ship Ever Given ran aground in the canal, shutting down shipping in the major global waterway for almost a week.The incident and its impact on hundreds of ships delayed in the canal would be a “large loss” for insurance market Lloyd’s of London…

The blockage of the Suez Canal for nearly a week will result in a “large loss” for Lloyd’s of London, its chairman said on Wednesday, as the insurance market recorded a 900 million pound ($1.2 billion) pretax loss in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.The Canal is working to clear the backlog after the refloating this week of a stranded giant container ship. The blockage threw global supply chains into disarray.Bruce Carnegie-Brown told Reuters it was too early to estimate the exact loss…

The blocking of the Suez Canal by one of the world’s largest container ships is likely to result in losses worth hundreds of millions of euros for the reinsurance industry, Fitch Ratings said, even as rescue teams were successful in partially refloating the vessel on Monday.The 400-metre (430-yard) long Ever Given got wedged diagonally across the canal in high winds early last Tuesday, blocking the path for hundreds of vessels waiting to transit the shortest shipping route between…

Denmark-based energy giant successfully issued green hybrid capital securities for €600m ($660m) to refinance existing securities issued in 2015.The latest issue will have a maturity in 3019 and first call option after eight years, the Danish energy company said.Investments undertaken by Ørsted A/S in green renewable energy projects will be allocated to the new issue corresponding to the amount issued in accordance with Ørsted’s Green Finance Framework, which has received a second opinion with a Dark Green shading from Cicero.Ørsted A/S is rated Baa1, stable outlook, by Moody’s, BBB+, stable outlook, by Standard & Poor’s, and BBB+, stable outlook…

For the fourth consecutive year, Fitch Ratings has affirmed the Panama Canal's 'A' investment grade rating with a stable outlook for its long-term issuer default rating and its senior unsecured notes.The credit rating agency noted that the Panama Canal is "an underlying asset that is critical not only for Panama, but for international commerce, as demonstrated by its stable volume performance, solid competitive position, and well-diversified cargo mix," causing the Panama Canal volume profile to exhibit high levels of resilience.In addition, Fitch Ratings distinguished the Canal as a key player in global trade with a privileged geographical…

The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Rollin Fritch found five commercial fishing vessels fishing for highly migratory species without Federal Fisheries Permits, a violation discovered during the routine boarding process over the weekend near Oregon Inlet, N.C.Commercial fishing in federal waters without the appropriate permit violates the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Fishermen found in violation of this act can be subject to fines up $3,750.“Applying for and maintaining a Federal Fisheries…

Revenue stability and capex plans are the main drivers of credit rating differences among Asia-Pacific ports, according to a new Fitch Ratings report. Leverage and debt structure also set apart the ratings.Revenue stability, due to strong volume or price attributes, and resilience is underpinned by each port's importance to the economy and the strength of its catchment area, along with its competitive position.Volume stability benefits from diverse throughput and limited customer concentration; reliance on a single commodity can increase volatility. Fitch assesses the price attributes as mid-range or stronger for the Asia-Pacific ports.

The exposure of five Philippine banks to financially distressed Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co. Philippines (HHIC-Phil), which recently declared bankruptcy after it defaulted on over $400 million in loans, could put pressure on their credit ratings.Their exposure to what may well be the largest corporate default in Philippine banking history may put pressure on the credit ratings of local lenders, Fitch Ratings said.According to reports, Hanjin owes $412 million to Philippine banks. Another $900 million is owed to Korean banks. So far, little is known about these debts and how the actual value of the assets of the company relate to its capacity to repay.“Local banks’ loans to HHIC-Phil are equivalent to only around 0.2 percent of system loans…

Moody's Investors Service reaffirmed the Panama Canal Authority's (ACP) A2 long-term rating with a stable outlook, based on its distinctive position as an infrastructure asset with a unique geographic advantage and business model, and its strong historical operational and financial performance.According to Moody's, the ACP's strong financial performance has resulted in better than anticipated financial metrics, driven by the successful operations of the Expanded Panama Canal. The credit rating agency noted the Canal's strong operating track record and robust growth after the Expansion.Factoring into its decision, Moody's cited "the Canal's…

The global shipping sector outlook remains negative reflecting the demand-side risks of protectionism and slower economic growth, Fitch Ratings says. Higher fuel costs and sulphur regulation will also put pressure on shippers.Partly offsetting an unfavourable environment are emerging signs of better capacity management by shipping companies, which is key to a sustainable balance and freight rates that support consistent profitability. We expect better fundamentals in container and dry bulk…

More stringent fuel regulations regarding sulphur content could significantly increase global shipping companies' operating costs and capex needs, says Fitch Ratings in a new report."This may negatively affect their credit quality unless they manage to pass these costs to customers. Many shipping companies have started implementing fuel surcharges to recover costs associated with the new sulphur cap regulation, but their ability to sustain these will depend on market fundamentals, which remain challenging," said Flitch.Competitive dynamics may change in the longer term with companies that are less financially able to absorb additional costs, especially given higher oil prices, withdrawing from the market.

International Maritime Organization (IMO) fuel rules entering force in 2020 mandate a drastic sulfur reduction. By 2050 the mandate is to cut greenhouse gas emissions of shipping by at least 50 percent.Marine fuels, lubricants and additives manufacturers play their part in establishing maritime’s green credentials by introducing new environmentally acceptable technologies and products.The shipping industry is more than ever portrayed in a bad light due to increasing awareness of its contribution to global climate change, according to Dirk Kronmeijer, CEO of GoodFuels Marine.

Several ships carrying cargoes of sorghum from the United States to China have changed course since Beijing slapped hefty anti-dumping deposits on U.S. imports of the grain, trade sources and a Reuters analysis of export and shipping data showed.Sorghum is a niche animal feed and a tiny slice of the billions of dollars in exports at stake in the trade dispute between the world's two largest economies, which threatens to disrupt the flow of everything from steel to electronics.The supply-chain pain felt by sorghum suppliers on the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans underscores how quickly the mounting trade tensions between the U.S.

MOL Plc. has been upgraded to BBB- investment grade long-term credit and issuer rating with stable outlook by Standard and Poor’s (S&P). S&P concluded that the upgrade to investment grade credit rating was justified by the improvement in MOL’s current and forecasted credit metrics, thanks to the company’s strong performance and supportive industry conditions. S&P added that MOL demonstrated the benefits of its integrated business model, delivered on its cost optimization program with sustainable benefits for profitability and increased the share of less volatile retail and petrochemicals segments. The stable outlook reflects S&P’s expectation that MOL will maintain robust credit metrics…

U.S. ports are positioned for another solid year of growth, though the Trump administration's evolving stance on both domestic and international trade is a long-term development worth a close watch, according to Fitch Ratings in its latest sector briefing. This after a strong 2017 in which ports on both coasts saw overall growth through the year. "Moving to larger ships and implementing operational alliances have helped drive volume growth on both coasts in 2017," said Emma Griffith, Director.

Fitch Ratings-London-01 March 2018: Sustaining last year's improved profitability in 2018 may prove challenging for container shipping companies, Fitch Ratings says. The fact that some companies are likely to have remained loss-making in 2017 highlights the ongoing weakness in sector fundamentals due to persistent overcapacity, which may undermine a longer-lasting recovery. Financial reports or preliminary results released so far indicate that container shipping companies had stronger performance in 2017 than 2016. We expect most carriers to have boosted profitability, although performance varies company by company. Maersk Line generated EBIT of USD634 million in 2017 compared to a loss of USD421 million in 2016…

The 305-foot factory trawler f/v Golden Alaska is powered by twin MAK six-cylinder engines and has a large boiler used to support large fishmeal-fish oil processor and hoteling galley needs of the 130-person crew and factory personnel. The vessel is in its fourth year and eighth pollock season using the Fitch Fuel Catalyst on output of dual centrifuges for a 5,300-gallon day tank. They get approximately 18 months service from each core and now are on their third one. “I can attest to a fuel savings as well as a much cleaner burn…