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Market sees higher ship refinancing amid conflicts between US and China

Likely beneficiaries of the spat are shipowners that are neither Chinese nor American, such as Singapore-based players

 Tay Peck Gek
Published Wed, Oct 15, 2025 · 01:43 PM
    • Companies with long-term exposure to US or Chinese cargoes, charter contracts, or financing arrangements are expected to face greater pressure, says Ali Susanto, global head of corporate finance at ship broker SSY.
    • Companies with long-term exposure to US or Chinese cargoes, charter contracts, or financing arrangements are expected to face greater pressure, says Ali Susanto, global head of corporate finance at ship broker SSY. PHOTO: AFP

    [SINGAPORE] With the US levying fees on Chinese-related vessels and China retaliating with tit-for-tat port fees on US-affiliated ships, the shipping market is now experiencing a wave of refinancing activity.

    Likely beneficiaries of the spat are shipowners that are neither Chinese nor American, such as Singapore-based players.

    Ali Susanto, global head of corporate finance at the world’s largest privately owned ship broker SSY, told The Business Times that there is a flurry of refinancing going on in the market, triggered by port fees levied by the US and China on vessels linked to each other.

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