First Valemax to Call at Chinese Port After Three-Year Ban

China’s ban on very large ore carriers known as Valemaxes seems to have been officially lifted as the 400,000-dwt Valemax Yuan Zhuo Hai readies to call at Dongjiakou port, Qingdao China.

The giant ship, owned by China Ore Shipping, has arrived off the coast of China’s Qingdao on Tuesday and is underway toward Dongjiakou where it is expected to arrive on July 3rd, local media report. Yuan Zhuo Hai will thus become the first ship of this capacity to enter a Chinese port over the last three years.

The ban on Valemaxes was imposed by China in 2012 amid environmental concerns, however the ban was also seen as an attempt to shield national carriers such as China Ocean Shipping Group (COSCO).

In February this year, China’s Ministry of Transport issued a circular on the design of 400,000 DWT bulk carries entering Chinese ports amending its previous design layout, thus hinting that the three-year ban on 400,000 dwt Valemaxes from docking at its ports is about to be lifted.

Easing of the ban comes in the wake of Vale’s deal with COSCO from last September on the lease of ten very large ore carriers to be built by China Merchants.

The VLOCs will be used to transport Vale’s iron ore from Brazil to China.​

World Maritime News Staff