NYK has signed up for another very large ore carrier (VLOC)

The Tokyo-based giant ordered a second 300,000-tonner at Universal Shipbuilding against a long-term charter from Chinese steel mill Beitai Iron&Steel Group.

Earlier this month, NYK announced it had signed a 25-year charter with Beitai to import iron ore from Brazil.

It will ship around 700,000 tonnes of iron ore per year between November and August 2011 using a 170,000-dwt ore carrier and 1.2 million tonnes between August 2011 and the next 20 years using a 300,000-dwt ore carrier.

Beitai is said to be the first Chinese company to take a VLOC from NYK.