Hapag-Lloyd takes mid-life vessels to China for ‘jumboisation’
Cauqenes is one of Hapag-Lloyd's Copiapo-class vessels
(Source: Hapag-Lloyd)
Hapag-Lloyd is sending its Copiapo-class vessels to China’s Cosco Zhoushan Shipyard for ‘jumboisation,’ increasing their capacity from 9,324 TEU to approximately 10,200 TEU. The upgrades include raising lashing bridges, the funnel, and the deckhouse to accommodate higher container stacks.
The move follows a similar mid-life upgrade to the smaller Tubu’-class vessels carried out by Fayard, in Denmark. But this time, the upgrades on the Copiapo-class vessels will take place in China.
The decision begs the question of to what extent the vessel will be liabilities under the USTR’s proposed port call levy system, a suggested USD 1.5 million fee for Chinese-built vessels calling in US ports.
The US SHIPS for America Act, introduced by Senator Mark Kelly, already imposes a 200% duty on repairs for US-flagged vessels conducted in "foreign countries of concern," including China.
While the Hapag-Lloyd vessels were originally built in South Korea, four of them are calling at US ports, and it is unclear as to whether US regulators will view Chinese upgrades as problematic.
