Chinese boxship pays Iran for Hormuz passage as corridor traffic grows
A CHINESE-OWNED feeder containership has become the first vessel with confirmed mainland Chinese ownership to pay Iran for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, transiting via a so-called “safe” shipping corridor near Tehran’s Larak Island during the weekend.
According to ship databases, the registered owner of Panama-flagged Newvoyager (IMO: 1088396) is Bengbu Shengda Transportation, based in China’s Anhui province, while shipmanagement is handled by Shanghai-based United Pioneer Shipping.
Its beneficial owner remains unclear, however.
The transit was brokered by a Chinese maritime services company acting as an intermediary, which also handled the payment to Iranian authorities, Lloyd’s List understands. The exact amount and method of payment could not be confirmed.
This makes Newvoyager another case in which a shipping firm paying Iran for passage through the corridor since it was established — following a tanker operator previously reported by Lloyd’s List — and the first involving a ship definitively linked to Chinese ownership.
More than 20 vessels have so far been tracked using the Larak Island corridor to navigate the Strait of Hormuz. The majority have been Greek-owned, though Indian, Pakistani, Syrian and Iran’s own vessels have also been identified among them.
Iranian authorities are said to be handling transit requests on a case-by-case basis for vessels seeking to use the corridor, though some governments — including India — are reported to be negotiating with Tehran for bulk passage arrangements.
Lloyd’s List Intelligence vessel-tracking data shows Newvoyager appeared in the vicinity of Larak Island at approximately 0730 hrs local time on Sunday, March 22.
Hours later, the vessel was tracked sailing along Iran’s southern coastline while broadcasting the AIS message “DUQM ALL CREW CHINA”.
Prior to the transit, the ship’s AIS signal had gone dark for 16 days — a blackout that may have been partly attributable to the widespread satellite system interference affecting the region. Tracking data shows Newvoyager departed Jebel Ali on February 21 before being picked up entering Iran’s Bandar Abbas anchorage on March 2.
Newvoyager’ssuccessful passage may also be linked to its involvement in Iran-related trade. The vessel has been operating in the Gulf of Oman and the Middle East Gulf since October and was tracked at Bandar Abbas anchorage between November 21-25 before shuttling between Jebel Ali and waters close to Iran.
Hua Joo Tan, co-founder of Linerlytica, said the vessel had previously been chartered by Hong Kong-based Kawa Shipping but was released in August last year.
Iran AIS blackout
“The boxship left Kawa in August and is running for Iran since October,” Tan said. “If you check the AIS history there is a clear blackout each time it nears Iran.”
The Newvoyager transit came days after Sea Bird, a sanctioned LPG carrier, was also tracked passing through the Strait of Hormuz via the Larak Island corridor around March 17.
That vessel is suspected of having ties to Chinese ownership after its AIS broadcast the message “CH INA” during the transit, though no Chinese entity appears in its ownership chain.
Despite the Newvoyager transit, however, larger Chinese shipowners appear to remain wary of attempting passage.
Speculation emerged last week that nine Cosco Shipping vessels — seven tankers and two containerships — trapped inside the MEG would soon exit. However, those ships remained at anchorage on Monday.
Industry sources said the state-owned giant appears to be awaiting a government-to-government agreement before receiving clearance to transit.
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