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日本海事新聞ニュース Japan Maritime Daily Jun 12, 2026 (Fri)

The wood chip carrier fleet of Japanese paper manufacturers declined to 57 vessels

　According to the Japan Paper Association, the number of dedicated chip carriers chartered by Japane ・・・続きはログインして下さいnext %E3%80%80According+to+the+Japan+Paper+Association%2C+the+number+of+dedicated+chip+carriers+chartered+by+Japanese+paper+manufacturers+from+shipping+companies+stood+at+57+as+of+the+end+of+2025%2C+down+four+from+61+at+the+end+of+2024.+The+main+reason+was+the+termination+of+contracts+for+three+vessels+chartered+by+Marusumi+Paper%2C+which+is+undergoing+civil+rehabilitation+proceedings.+This+marks+the+first+time+in+36+years%2C+since+1989%2C+that+paper+companies%E2%80%99+chip+carrier+fleet%2C+on+a+year-end+basis%2C+has+fallen+below+60+vessels.+%3Cbr%3E+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80A+chip+carrier+is+a+specialized+vessel+developed+to+transport+wood+chips+used+as+raw+material+for+paper.+To+transport+light+and+bulky+wood+chips%2C+these+vessels+have+larger+cargo+hold+capacity+than+typical+dry+bulk+carriers.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80No+newbuilds+were+added+in+2025.+In+addition+to+the+cancellation+of+contracts+for+three+Marusumi+Paper+vessels%2C+contracts+for+two+existing+vessels+of+other+companies+also+expired.+While+OCM+Fiber+Trading%E2%80%99s+contract+for+one+vessel+ended%2C+it+chartered+one+of+the+three+vessels+whose+contracts+had+been+canceled+by+Marusumi+Paper.+The+average+vessel+age+was+10.9+years%2C+up+from+10.1+years+in+the+same+period+of+the+previous+year.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80By+paper+company%2C+OCM+Fiber+Trading%2C+which+jointly+procures+imported+wood+chips+for+the+Oji+Group%2C+Chuetsu+Pulp+%26+Paper%2C+and+Mitsubishi+Paper+Mills%2C+had+the+largest+number+with+24+vessels+%28unchanged+from+the+same+period+of+the+previous+year%29.+Nippon+Paper+Industries+had+15+vessels+%28unchanged+from+the+same+period+of+the+previous+year%29%2C+Daio+Paper+had+10+vessels+%28unchanged+from+the+same+period+of+the+previous+year%29%2C+and+Hokuetsu+Corporation+had+eight+vessels+%28down+by+one%29.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80By+shipping+company%2C+MOL+had+the+largest+number+with+23+vessels%2C+unchanged+from+the+same+period+of+the+previous+year.+NYK+had+19+vessels%2C+down+by+two%2C+while+%E2%80%9CK%E2%80%9DLine+had+six%2C+down+by+one.+Daio+Kaiun+had+four+vessels%2C+Hachiuma+Steamship+%28now+NYK+Bulkship+Partners%29+had+three%2C+and+Iino+Lines+and+OCEAN+TRANS+had+one+each%2C+with+no+change.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80The+number+of+chip+carriers+operated+by+Japanese+paper+manufacturers+has+been+on+a+downward+trend+since+peaking+at+92+at+the+end+of+2008.+This+is+because+paper+production+declined+as+demand+for+printing+and+information+paper+and+newsprint+fell+amid+digitalization%2C+and+imports+of+wood+chips+have+slowed+as+a+result.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80According+to+the+JPA%2C+total+imports+of+hardwood+and+softwood+wood+chips+in+2025+fell+2.6%25+from+2024+to+9.83+million+tons+%28Bone+Dry+tons%29.+The+shift+in+import+sources+toward+Asia+is+also+dampening+demand+for+chip+carriers.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80Imports+of+hardwood+chips%2C+which+account+for+more+than+80%25+of+imported+wood+chips%2C+fell+2.4%25+to+8.25+million+tons+in+2025.+Leveraging+price+competitiveness+and+geographic+advantages%2C+imports+from+Vietnam+rose+2.9%25+to+4+million+tons%2C+maintaining+the+largest+share.+Imports+from+Thailand+also+increased+by+1.6%25+to+1.06+million+tons.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80On+the+other+hand%2C+imports+from+distant-source+Chile+fell+20.7%25+to+630%2C000+tons%2C+while+those+from+Brazil+also+dropped+29.4%25+to+210%2C000+tons.+Meanwhile%2C+imports+from+Australia+fell+20.5%25+to+730%2C000+tons%2C+while+those+from+South+Africa+increased+by+20.4%25+to+1.03+million+tons.+%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EDisclaimer%3A+The+English+translations+provided+through+this+service+are+the+result+of+translations+made+by+The+Japan+Maritime+Daily+or+automatically+and+mechanically+translated+by+The+Japan+Maritime+Daily+using+an+automated+translation+system+provided+by+a+third+party+after+certain+processing+of+the+Japanese+content+licensed+by+the+third+party.+In+terms+of+the+English+translation%2C+The+Japan+Maritime+Daily+and+MarineNet+Co.%2C+Ltd.+make+no+warranty+or+burden+of+any+kind%2C+express+or+implied%2C+including+its+accuracy%2C+reliability%2C+validity+or+fitness+for+a+particular+purpose.+MarineNet+Users+should+fully+understand+that+this+service+uses+an+automated+translation+system+that+automatically+and+mechanically+recognizes+and+analyzes+information+and+produces+results.+The+users+should+understand+the+above+conditions+before+using+this+service.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E5%85%8D%E8%B2%AC%E4%BA%8B%E9%A0%85%EF%BC%9A%E3%81%93%E3%81%AE%E3%82%B5%E3%83%BC%E3%83%93%E3%82%B9%E3%82%92%E4%BB%8B%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6%E6%8F%90%E4%BE%9B%E3%81%95%E3%82%8C%E3%82%8B%E8%8B%B1%E8%A8%B3%E3%81%AF%E3%80%81%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E6%B5%B7%E4%BA%8B%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E3%81%8C%E4%BD%9C%E6%88%90%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B%E3%81%8B%E3%80%81%E5%8F%88%E3%81%AF%E3%80%81%E7%AC%AC%E4%B8%89%E8%80%85%E3%81%8B%E3%82%89%E4%BD%BF%E7%94%A8%E8%A8%B1%E8%AB%BE%E3%82%92%E5%8F%97%E3%81%91%E3%81%9F%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E8%AA%9E%E3%81%AE%E3%82%B3%E3%83%B3%E3%83%86%E3%83%B3%E3%83%84%E3%82%92%E3%80%81%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E6%B5%B7%E4%BA%8B%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E3%81%8C%E4%B8%80%E5%AE%9A%E3%81%AE%E5%87%A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