2017 for shipping will be a year of retrenchment rather than improvement, according to what most respondents believed in a regular survey conducted by Moore Stephens, with shipping confidence holding steady in the three months to end-February 2017.

Golden Ocean Group has entered into agreements to purchase all 14 dry bulk carriers owned by Quintana Shipping under an all-share transaction.

Sinotrans Shipping has posted a larger loss for 2016 compared to 2015 due mainly to vessels impairment as a result of the depressed shipping market.

Pan Ocean has made an order to construct five woodpulp carriers at a total price of KRW165.5bn ($146.1m) after having secured a long term transportation contract with Brazil’s Fibria.

Samudera Shipping Line has posted a full year loss in 2016 amid challenging operating environment in the main shipping segments of containers, bulkers and tankers.

Jinhui Shipping and Transportation has stayed in the red in 2016 due mainly to impairment charges amounting to $158.47m, though it narrowed the loss compared to 2015.

Jinhui Shipping and Transportation has sold four supramaxes at a total price of $48m to Chinese ship owning and chartering company Minyi (Tianjin) Ship Leasing, as Jinhui Shipping looks to optimise its fleet profile in the weak dry bulk shipping...

China’s bankrupt Wenzhou Shipping has sold five vessels over the country’s largest online shopping website Taobao.

Bahri Dry Bulk Company (BDB), a subsidiary of the Bahri Group, and Koninklijke Bunge have formed a joint venture to establish an ocean freight supplier for dry bulk import and export flows in the Middle East.

There were few Valentine’s Day surprises for the freight market this week, as the market has reverted to its seasonal mode of slowing seaborne trade.