MSC executive tells forum in Oslo that Chinese shipyards can build new vessels for sector’s energy transition
While a US port fee targeting ships linked to China has made some vessel buyers hesitant, major shipping companies – including Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the world’s largest – are opting to continue working with Chinese shipyards, saying their competitiveness cannot be easily matched in the short term.
Despite the United States’ determination to challenge China’s dominance in global shipbuilding, MSC senior vice-president Marie-Caroline Laurent told the Nor-Shipping Forum in Oslo this week that the port fee would not be a barrier to ordering more vessels from China, the shipping news outlet TradeWinds reported.
She said it was good to see the US trying to revive shipbuilding activity, but “we will need new vessels with the energy transition”.
“Those ships today are built to a large extent in China,” Laurent said. “They have the competence, they have the capability, and this is where today we will still continue building our vessels.”
