Valemax Ship Gets Go-ahead at Chinese Ports
China has amended its port rules to allow fully loaded 400,000-deadweight tonnes (dwt) dry bulk cargo ships to dock at the country’s mainland ports.
The ban affected the type Valemax ships, cargo ships built by Vale with capacity of 400 thousand tons.
A new government circular on the design of dry bulk cargo ships indicates that mainland China has lifted the ban on Valemax, the giant iron ore carriers developed by Brazilian miner Vale that was forbidden to dock at mainland ports for three years.
The ministry initially allowed Valemax, the world’s largest cargo ship, to enter China on a case-by-case basis in 2011, until a circular promulgated in January 2012 suspended the practice, effectively prohibiting the vessels from mooring at mainland ports.
The 2012 circular cited safety concerns as the reason for the ban, which was widely believed to protect the interests of national carriers such as China Ocean Shipping Group (Cosco).
Cosco and China Shipowners’ Association have repeatedly said these vessels were not safe enough for mainland ports to handle, an allegation that Vale rejected.
The latest statement was largely “within expectation” following the agreements between Vale and two national carriers last year, said Jiang Ming, a transport analyst at Haitong Securities.