RAY SMUTS ORDER BOOKS for newbuildings are bulging from most of the top container line operators and the new Maersk Line is up there with the rest. The line has place an order with Odense Staalskibsvaert for eleven 12 000 TEU-capacity, post-panamax ships, scheduled for delivery between next month and 2009. That’s not where it ends, however. The about-to become defunct Maersk Sealand carrier has on order from Samsung four 9 600 TEU vessels, to be delivered between September 2007 and March 2008. It has also ordered from Hyundai five 8 600 TEU ships for delivery between March and November 2008, and from IHI Marine a further four 8 478 TEU ships, scheduled for delivery between next month and April 2007. Plus another two 8 400 TEU Daewoo-built CP Offen-chartered ships and another four of the same size to be delivered between December this year and July 2008. That’s not the end of the story, folks. Hanjin will supply Maersk Line with ten 6 500 TEU vessels between April 2007 and January 2009 while the carrier will receive seven 6 070 TEU vessels from Hanjin, between June and December, 2007. All of which points to great optimism by the major container lines about prospects for greatly increased global trade in the coming years.
