China may soon allow valemax bulk carriers to call at Chinese ports following a recent statement released by the ministry of transport on guidelines for the design and scale of such 400,000 dwt mega-sized VLOCs.

Vale’s port terminal Ponta da Madeira has signed a cooperation agreement with China’s Qingdao port for an increase in the handling of iron ore between the terminals.

The trend for the future is towards greater specialisation in the dry bulk market, according to Drewry Singapore president and ceo Arjun Batra, who even went so far as to suggest that "VLOCs (such as the Valemaxes) will eventually push out capes".

Brazilian miner Vale is both looking to sell more its Valemax VLOCs and order additional vessels to meet iron ore shipping demand to China.

China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES) has returned to the black in the first nine months of 2014.

China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES) and its subsidiary have confirmed orders to build five VLCC newbuildings from two separate Chinese shipbuilders.

In the continued signs of a thaw from China over Valemaxes China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES) is to order 10 VLOCs for contracts with Vale.

Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) has won a bumper order from Australia’s Fortescue Metals Group to construct four 250,000 dwt VLOCs.

Australia’s Fortescue Metals Group has revealed that it is negotiating to purchase four VLOCs from a Chinese shipbuilder, in addition to an earlier deal to construct four similar ships.

China’s Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group has revealed that it has won its largest ever bulk carriers order to build four 260,000 dwt VLOCs for an Australian mining firm.