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Hanjin Shipping Co News

21 Feb 2019

HMM CEO to Step Down

Chang Keun Yoo, president and CEO of South Korea container line Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM)  has decided to resign from his position next month.Chang-Keun Yoo has been Chief Executive Officer and President of Hyundai Merchant Marine Co. Ltd since April 02, 2013 and serves as its Chairman of the Board. Yoo served as an Executive Vice President of Hyundai Merchant Marine Co. Ltd., and Head of HMM Europe Ltd.According to a report in WSJ, he has offered to resign after months of being under pressure from its top creditor to quit over failures in its turnaround. His successor has yet to be announced.Yoo thanked staff for support and requested them “to join forces with an incoming CEO and make a new leap forward for history” in the emailed farewell message…

17 Aug 2018

Container Shipping Bankruptcy Lends Insight on Potential Fallout from Trade War

© MAGNIFIER / Adobe Stock

Global trade tensions have captured headlines in recent months, as the imposition of a series of tariffs and counter-tariffs by various global trade counterparts has raised questions about the possibility of a trade war. Such development could potentially have an impact on global trade flows, and, consequently, the companies which facilitate international movement of goods.Though the situation is still developing and the final impact is uncertain, Gregory Draco, the Chief U.S. Economist at Oxford, predicted in July that the tariffs would create an 0.1 percent to 0.2 percent drag on U.S. GDP.

08 Aug 2017

Hanjin Shipping: No Cash to Pay Creditors

Hanjin Shipping Co., the South Korean shipping company that caused havoc when it filed for bankruptcy, is struggling to raise enough money to repay $10.5 billion in creditor claims, WSJ reported. Hanjin has raised only $220 million by selling ships, stakes in seaport terminals and other assets to repay its more than 180 creditors. A trustee charged with Hanjin Shipping’s Korean bankruptcy case in in Seoul said Hanjin has raised about $220 million since filing for bankruptcy nearly a year ago. At least 180 creditors were present for the court hearing on June 1, 2017. Hanjin Shipping in court was unable to say when distribution to creditors would begin. A Korean judge ordered Hanjin’s liquidation on February 17, 2017.

31 Jul 2017

Demand Fuels Boxship Freight Rates for Japan's Big Three

Japan's big three shippers on Monday reported profits for the first quarter, bouncing back from losses a year earlier and raising hopes the firms could be emerging from the industry's worst-ever downturn on record. Mitsui OSK Lines swung to a 1.1 billion yen ($10 million) operating profit in April-June from a loss of 3.6 billion yen a year earlier, as a strong U.S. economy lifted freight volumes on routes between Asia and North America to record levels in the last quarter. It now expects an 18 billion yen operating profit in the year through next March, double its previous forecast for 9 billion yen. Nippon Yusen booked operating income of 3.6 billion yen compared with a loss of 11 billion yen a year earlier…

17 Apr 2017

Daewoo Shipbuilding Bondholders Okay Bailout Plan

Debt-to-equity swap plan is condition of $2.6 bln bailout. South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co Ltd on Monday won near unanimous approval for a debt-to-equity swap plan in the first three of five bondholder meetings, as the world's largest shipbuilder battles to stay afloat. The votes were held hours after Daewoo's biggest bondholder, the National Pension Service (NPS), said it had agreed to the proposal. That move made it likely other bondholders would follow suit, creditor bank officials said, allowing the shipbuilder to meet conditions of a $2.6 billion bank bailout. The shipbuilder has been pushed to the brink by the impact of historically low oil prices, which caused delays in payments for complex offshore facilities.

20 Mar 2017

SM Group Mulls More Takeovers

South Korea’s Samra Midas Group (SM Group) said that it is looking to acquire some overseas shippers, among other businesses in an effort to expand its foothold in the maritime sector, Yonhap News Agency cited one of the company’s officials. SM Group, which was picked as the preferred bidder for STX Corp., a general trading company, last week, also purchased the now-defunct Hanjin Shipping Co.'s U.S.-Asia route and other assets for 37 billion won (US$32 million) late last year. SM Group plans to pour 130 billion won ($115 million) into STX. In 2013, SM Group also acquired Korea Line Corp., the country's No. 2 bulk carrier. Korea Line currently operates some 30 vessels…

07 Mar 2017

Consolidation Not Enough to Save Box Shippers -Study

File photo: Hamburg SĂĽd

The outlook for global container carriers remains rocky at the outset of 2017, according to a new study by AlixPartners. Hanjin Shipping Co.’s bankruptcy in 2016 sent shock waves through the industry, while Brexit and the new U.S. administration’s policies threaten to inject further uncertainty into the future of global trade. These stances could reverse policies that have supported the growth of containerization since the 1950s. Going into the important pricing season, companies need to do everything they can to retain the higher rates recently seen.

06 Mar 2017

SM Line Launches New Shipping Services

South Korea's new container carrier, SM Line, which is built mainly on the remains of collapsed Hanjin Shipping, plans to kick off operations with as many as nine routes this year. According to Yonhap,  it will begin its services to Thailand, Vietnam, Japan and other regions with a fleet of 12 container ships. The carrier then wants to grow to 41 ships on 25 routes over the next five years. Late last year, SM Group, which owns South Korea's No. 2 bulk carrier Korea Line Corp., acquired now-defunct Hanjin Shipping Co.'s U.S.-Asia route and other assets for 37 billion won (US$32 million). Of the 12 ships, the company runs six chartered ships. Its fleet includes eight 6,500 TEU-ships and one 4,300 TEU-vessel, SM Line said.

17 Feb 2017

S.Korea Court Declares Hanjin Bankrupt

A South Korean court declared Hanjin Shipping Co Ltd bankrupt on Friday, after ruling earlier this month that the firm's liquidation value would be worth more than its value as a going concern. Hanjin Shipping, which had been the world's seventh-largest container shipper, applied for court receivership in late August after its creditor banks halted further support. The Seoul Central District Court said in a statement it has chosen a bankruptcy administrator, and claims by creditors are due by May 1, 2017. The first meeting of creditors will be held on June 1, 2017. "The court will, through the bankruptcy process, make efforts so the maximum of debt repayment will be conducted in a way that is fair and balanced to the creditors," it said. The court on Feb.

08 Feb 2017

Korea Bank Puts 10 Hanjin Vessels Up for Sale

Korea Development Bank, the main creditor of the dissolved Hanjin Shipping Co. and state-owned entity, has put 10 Hanjin vessels up for sale in order to source back elements of its extended loans, reports Yonhap. According to the sources, potential buyers are required to submit their bids for the ships — two container ships and eight bulk carriers — by Feb. 21. Previously a South Korean court agreed to formally end Hanjin Shipping Co Ltd’s court receivership process after a two week appeal period, ending the business. Therefore any method of rehabilitation for the South Korean shipping company is now over, thus heralding liquidation.

05 Feb 2017

South Korean Court to Liquidate Hanjin Shipping

The Seoul Central District Court Thursday decided to end the bankruptcy protection of Hanjin Shipping Co. Ltd (Hanjin Shipping), leaving the company to succumb to a declaration of bankruptcy later this month, Yonhap reported. Hanjin, once the world's seventh- or eighth-largest container shipper, filed for court receivership in late August 2016 as its creditors, led by the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB), said they would not provide additional financial support to Hanjin starting from September 4. “Now that the sale of Hanjin’s major assets is almost over, the time has come to declare its final fate,” WSJ quoted Choi Ung-young, a judge on the Seoul court as saying. Choi said the shipping line has hardly any value as a going concern and that the court will likely rule on Feb.

02 Feb 2017

S.Korea Court to Declare Hanjin Bankrupt on Feb. 17

A South Korean court said on Thursday it decided to end Hanjin Shipping Co Ltd's court receivership process and expects to declare bankruptcy on February 17 after a two-week period for appeals.   The Seoul Central District Court said in a statement that it made the decision as the firm's liquidation value would be worth more than its value as a going concern.   Hanjin Shipping, which had been the world's seventh-largest container shipper, applied for court receivership in late August after its creditor banks halted further support.   Swiss shipping group MSC said on Wednesday its unit has bought a stake in Hanjin Shipping's U.S. port operator, the latest Hanjin asset to be sold.   Reporting by Joyce Lee

22 Jan 2017

Giuseppe Bottiglieri Files for Creditor Protection

Italian cargo shipowner Giuseppe Bottiglieri Shipping Co. SpA  has filed for court protection while it works on a restructuring plan  reports WSJ. The Naples company cited "the unprecedented world freight market crisis" that has weighed on profits across the industry. Giuseppe Bottiglieri said it has prepared a new business and financial plan that is now under discussion with creditors. With 15 ships flying the Italian flag properties, the company accounts for 7% of the carrying capacity of the Italian fleet. Giuseppe Bottiglieri operates 11 dry-bulk carriers and four petroleum product tankers with an estimated value of $190 million. It wasn't known how many were at sea or the value of the cargo they moved.

18 Jan 2017

Hanjin Shipping's Sale of Total Terminals Okayed

Bankrupt South Korean shipping line Hanjin Shipping Co Ltd won U.S. court approval at a hearing on Wednesday for the $78 million sale of its stake in U.S. terminal operator Total Terminals International LLC, overcoming objections of container companies.   "My decision is to approve the sale," U.S. Bankruptcy Judge John Sherwood said, adding he would approve the transfer of the sale's proceeds to South Korea.   The container companies are creditors of Hanjin and were concerned whether the shipping line was getting top dollar for its 54 percent stake in Total Terminals, which operates container terminals at the ports of Seattle and Long Beach, California, and was rushing to close the transaction. It has already been approved in South Korea.   Reporting by Jim Christie

09 Jan 2017

Hanjin Creditors Oppose Terminal Sale

US creditors of Hanjin Shipping Co. Ltd. objected to the Korean courier’s efforts to secure a New Jersey bankruptcy court approval of an asset sale to Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC), reports WSJ. Geneva-based MSC, the world’s second largest container operator by capacity, has offered $78 million for container terminal in  Long Beach, Calif. A group of container companies and other creditors concerned that Chapter 15 debtor Hanjin rushed through a sale of equity interest in Total Terminals International LLC and Hanjin Shipping TEC Inc. earlier warned that Hanjin may not have fetched the best offers and may sidestep outstanding debts without closer scrutiny. According to the report, in court papers filed Friday with the U.S.

25 Dec 2016

Debt Looms for South Korean Shipyards

The top four Korean shipbuilders have 2.3 trillion won ($1.9 billion) in notes maturing next year, the most in Bloomberg-compiled data going back to 1997. Bloomberg reports that some of them may have trouble paying debts without help from the government or group firms, according to HMC Investment Securities Co. and NH Investment & Securities Co. Hanjin Shipping Co. sought bankruptcy protection this year and earnings suffered at Korea’s top shipyards including Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. and Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co., amid a slump in oil prices and growing competition from China. On October 31 this year, Korea’s Ministry of Strategy and Finance (MOSF) announced a plan to buttress the shipping and shipbuilding industries.

20 Dec 2016

Hanjin Sells US Terminal Stake to MSC

South Korean ocean carrier Hanjin Shipping Co. signed a deal to sell its stake in the U.S. port operator that runs Long Beach, Calif.’s, biggest container terminal to Mediterranean Shipping Co. (MSC), reports WSJ. Hanjin, which for bankruptcy protection in August, had signed a contract to sell its 54% stake in Total Terminals International LLC to Geneva-based MSC, the world’s second largest container operator by capacity. The exact value of the deal wasn’t known. The Seoul Central District Court handling Hanjin’s insolvency proceedings approved the deal on the condition it also is endorsed by a U.S. Bankruptcy Court and the U.S. port authority. Hanjin owned a 54% stake in Total Terminals International, while MSC had controlled the remaining 46%.

19 Dec 2016

HMM Looks for Profit in Q1

Hyundai Merchant Marine Co. (HMM) expects its profitability to improve slightly in the first quarter of next year on the back of an improvement in freight rates and its cost-cutting measures, reports Yonhap, quoting its chief executive Yoo Chang-keun. Yoo said the shipping firm will seek to replace outdated ships. "We are planning to place orders for five container ships and three or five oil tankers," he said. HMM returned to the black in the third quarter of the year from a year earlier largely thanks to cost-cutting efforts and asset sales. Hyundai Merchant remains steadfast in taking over its local rival Hanjin Shipping Co.'s port terminal operation in the U.S., according to Yoo.

09 Dec 2016

Maersk, Hyundai Merchant Marine alliance talks in doubt

Hyundai Merchant Marine says still in talks to join 2M; joining an alliance was precondition for HMM debt relief. Doubts about the future of Hyundai Merchant Marine Co Ltd surfaced on Friday after Denmark's Maersk Line said the South Korean shipping firm was no longer being considered for the 2M vessel-sharing alliance. Joining an alliance with major shipping firms was one of the conditions of a debt restructuring deal between heavily indebted Hyundai Merchant Marine and its creditors in May so any breakdown in talks could raise serious questions about the future of South Korea's largest shipping firm. Maersk Line, part of A.P. Moller-Maersk, said it was still in talks with Hyundai Merchant Marine but they were no longer about it becoming an operating partner in the alliance.

22 Nov 2016

Korea Line Buys $31.4m Biz from Hanjin Shipping

South Korea's Hanjin Shipping Co Ltd  will sell part of its container ship business to Korea Line Corp for 37 billion Korean won ($31.38 million), reports Reuters.   Korea Line will buy Hanjin's Pacific routes shipping business, relevant client management information, units in seven countries including the United States, China and Vietnam, as well as assets and manpower related to logistics systems, Hanjin said in a regulatory filing.   Hanjin said the sale, which will be completed on Jan. 5, 2017, is to secure funds to pay off creditors.    Hanjin applied for court receivership in late August after banks denied further financial support for the troubled shipper.

18 Nov 2016

CMA CGM Stays in Red, Pays Back NOL Takeover Loan

File photo: CMA CGM

CMA CGM, the world's third-largest container shipping company, posted on Friday another net loss in the third quarter as freight rates remained weak and it integrated Singapore-based NOL, its biggest-ever acquisition. The sector was showing the "first signs of stabilisation" as operators adjusted capacity but freight rates remained historically low, CMA CGM said on Friday. The French-based company's net loss including NOL was $268 million, compared with a $51 million net profit in the third quarter of 2015. Excluding NOL, the net loss was $202 million.

16 Nov 2016

$1.9 bln Shipping Rescue Package in Taiwan

Taiwanese government said it will provide 60 billion New Taiwan dollars ($1.9 billion) to support the country’s shipping industry, according to Reuters. The package, announced late Tuesday, involves a credit line with preferential interest rates aimed mainly to help Evergreen Marine Corp. and Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp., two of the world’s biggest container operators, says WSJ. The government wants to to prevent a collapse similar to Korea’s Hanjin Shipping Co. The Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai explicitly cited the failure of Hanjin Shipping and its knock-on effects for South Korean industry and citizens, according to the Taipei Times.

16 Nov 2016

US Post-election Shipping Rally Raises Interest, Questions

File photo: Diana Containerships

Shares of U.S. shipping companies shot higher again on Wednesday, causing volatility halts in a number of stocks and raising questions among investors and analysts over the extent of their sharp post-election rally. The jump in share prices and unusually heavy trading volume even surprised analysts who follow the stocks, although some said the gains appeared to result in part from optimism that commodity demand would increase under President-elect Donald Trump. At the center of the rally has been DryShips Inc…