Representatives from the three companies applaud the signing of the contract. [Photo/WeChat account of Xiamen FTZ]
Xiamen Financial Leasing, in the Xiamen Free Trade Zone recently signed a contract with Nantong Xiangyu Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and COSCO Shipping Bulk, in a big delivery order for new leased ships.
The order was for the construction of eight 64,000 DWT methanol-ready bulk carriers, with a total contract value topping 2.1 billion yuan ($292 million).
The implementation of the commercial ship leasing project is understood to have gone ahead because of the combination of local financial resources and State-owned manufacturing capabilities.
It's also said to be yet another achievement of Xiamen FTZ in leveraging the advantages of its financial leasing policies to promote local enterprises to focus on the integration of industry and finance, as well as to support the real economy.
The methanol-ready class of vessel that is engaged in both international and internal transportation is a flagship product of Xiangyu Shipbuilding, which has leading industry positions in both construction speeds and product quality.
Compared with similar ships domestically and internationally, this ship has a larger carrying capacity, lower fuel consumption and is more eco-friendly and green.
Since the start of the year, Xiamen FTZ has stepped up the pace of expanding its financial leasing business. It's conducted research and promotion activities with leading aviation and shipping leasing companies in major cities – seeking to establish long-term and stable partnerships with top enterprises.
Moving forwards, plans are for the zone to further promote the development of the financial leasing sector – tapping into the potential of multi-functional overlays and production-finance linkages.