Mitsui O.S.K. Lines gets contract to carry Chinese iron ore
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd., a Japanese ocean carrier based in Tokyo, has signed a long-term contract with Maanshan Iron & Steel Co. Ltd., a major producer of iron and steel in China, located in Maanshan City, Anhui province.
The contract, which runs for 10 years starting Jan. 1, calls for MOL to use a Cape-sized bulk carrier to transport 500,000 tons of iron ore annually from Tubarao or Ponta da Madeira, Brazil, to discharge ports in the Shanghai-Qingdao area of China.
Maanshan’s annual ore imports from Brazil, Australia and other countries total about 6 million tons. When a new blast furnace begins full operation, Maanshan’s production volume will reach 8 million tons a year, MOL said.