Market insights
The Changing Face of Asian Shipping S&P Trends
Freight cycles, financing shifts, and geopolitics are redefining Asian shipping investment. See how buyer behavior is reshaping tanker S&P.
Asian buyers are now among the most active players in secondhand shipping markets.
Freight earnings attract headlines during market peaks and downturns, but the key to enduring long-term profitability depends on the timing of asset acquisitions and disposals. The choices of Asian buyers—whether to invest countercyclically, ride earnings momentum, or selectively upgrade fleets—carry real weight for balance sheets and the wider trajectory of global tanker supply.
Navigating volatile freight markets, shifting financing conditions, and geopolitical pressures— Asian buyers face the core challenges of modern shipping investment.
Focusing on MR2 and VLCC segments, this Market Insights report examines:
- How Asian shipowners have shaped their S&P strategies since 2020
- Whether acquisition and divestment patterns reflect deliberate cycle timing, opportunistic earnings plays, or broader strategic imperatives
- How transaction data combined with discounted cash flow (DCF) can provide a disciplined framework for understanding buyer behavior
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About the authors
Download the Market Insights
Matt Freeman, VP of Valuations & Markets
Matthew leads a dynamic team of experts with oversight of the automated valuation model and the commercial data set that underpins it. The team is responsible for the handling of client queries as well as the production of bespoke and automated reports.
Matthew is a founding VesselsValue employee and prior to the acquisition of VessleValue by Veson Nautical in 2022, was the Chief Commercial Officer. He is a codirector of Seasure Shipbroking and has been an active shipbroker since 2007, bringing deep expertise in maritime asset valuation.
Felix Tordoff, Junior Valuation Analyst
Felix Tordoff is a Junior Maritime Analyst within the Valuation & Analytics team at Veson Nautical. He holds a BA (Hons) in Politics & International Relations from Newcastle University, UK.
Before joining Veson, Felix spent four years in the security sector, focusing on maritime risk and geopolitical analysis in African markets.
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