We are an independent shipbroker with an approach focused on expertise rather than scale.
Concern for emerging economies across Asia.
China’s slowdown and the tension between Beijing and Washington could quickly put several industries under pressure
In parallel to the escalating trade war between the US and China there has been rising concern across Asia-Pacific economies as economists are worried about the potential impact this tension could have on local economies.
Meanwhile, the growth of China’s economy is set to further slow down, with several Asian companies realising the risk of lower Chinese demand in the near future. This could mean significant pressure for a plethora of industries, such as Australian iron ore and South Korean cars. The first signs are already there to observe, with some Far Eastern car makers already blaming China’s performance for their softening results.
South Korea recently announced stimulus measures, such as tax cuts, in an effort to invigorate growth. The country’s exports fell 8 per cent in September year-on-year. This has been the biggest drop at least since 2016. Kim Dong-yeon, South Korea’s finance minister, warned about the growing external risks and the impact they could have on his country’s economy.
Moving to Japan, several industrial manufacturers have expressed their concern about the ripple effect the US-China trade war could have on the global economy. One of the main reasons to worry is the potential duration of this trade war, as this is not expected to be over quickly. Some voices suggest that a tension between the world’s two biggest economies could quickly spread to other regions across the world potentially leading to a global economic slowdown.
Analysts in Taiwan have been warning that economies depending on exports of high-tech electronics to China are directly exposed to the risk of contracting regional trade volumes, driven by China’s slowing down of consumption.
As mentioned in the FT, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker and one of the country’s most important businesses, commented that there has been no change observed so far in the behaviour of the company’s Chinese customers (accounting for about a tenth of its sales).
The most recent World Bank’s East Asia and Pacific Economic Update estimated that an 1 percentage point drop in China’s GDP growth would impact aggregate growth across emerging Asia-Pacific economies by 0.5 per cent after two years.
According to the same source, China would immediately cut its import of commodities, after a potential growth shock. The impact would be significant for countries such as Mongolia, Myanmar, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, as they are dependent on China’s appetite for their exports, “leaving those countries highly exposed to economic fluctuations in China”.
September was tough for Thailand’s tourist industry, as the number of visitors arriving from China fell sharply, by 15 per cent.
Affinity Research LLP
Dry Cargo
Dry Cargo
Our dry bulk chartering teams in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Santiago, Lima, Montevideo, Singapore and London are cargo-focussed and they fix voyage, COA and time charter business on behalf of their clients with a wide range of ship owners.
Contact: David Oakley
[email protected]
+61 2 9937 8806
Finance
Finance
Affinity Financial Products Ltd is authorised by the FCA to provide advice and execution of regulated activities. We focus our efforts on asset-related transactions often structured as corporate share sales or mergers and acquisitions.
We work in partnership with investment banks providing specific, shipping-related advice.
Contact: Andrew Finn
[email protected]
+44(0)20 3142 0114
LNG
LNG
Our young and dynamic LNG team possess wide-ranging experience of spot and term charters working with all major LNG shipowners and charterers. The LNG team has close interaction with the Newbuilding and Sale & Purchase divisions with an unrivalled track record of contracting LNG newbuildings and in the sale and purchase of LNG assets.
We maintain up-to-date knowledge and an understanding of new technologies within the LNG sector to ensure that our clients can make the most suitable and cost-effective decisions on shipping solutions.
Contact: Joni Mackay
[email protected]
+44(0)20 3142 0133
Newbuilding
Newbuilding
Our Newbuilding team has concluded over 500 newbuildings of all types, including LNGCs, FSRUs, drillships, crude tankers, product tankers and dry cargo vessels. We have contracted in all major newbuilding centres globally, with particular focus on the Korean Shipyards.
Contact: Nick Wood
[email protected]
+44(0)20 3142 0111
Offshore
Offshore
Affinity Offshore is based out of our Oslo and Houston offices. The Team focuses on world-wide sale & purchase of offshore support vessels, as well as chartering – particularly in the Americas and Mediterranean/MENA regions.
Contact: Tor-Øyvind Bjørkli
[email protected]
+47 2109 8211
Research
Research
Our research department combines real time market information with econometric modelling and the latest technology.
Contact: Fotios Katsoulas
[email protected]
+44(0)20 3142 0186
S & P
S & P
Our Sale & Purchase team has extensive experience of working with private clients, national shipping companies, major corporates, oil companies, grain houses and institutional investors. We provide a cradle to grave services across all shipping sectors. We operate from London, Singapore and Seoul to give 24-hour coverage of the markets, working for both newbuilding and second-hand buyers.
Contact: Toby English
[email protected]
+44(0)20 3142 0123
Tankers
Tankers
Our established tanker chartering teams serve the industry from London, Houston and Santiago delivering a highly proficient spot chartering service with a prime position in the fuel oil market. The team has close relationships with oil majors, national oil companies, oil traders and major ship owners and operators.
Our ethos for operations and post-fixture is simple: these roles are as important to us as the chartering/commercial function, and we continue to apply those same principles of professional ship broking throughout the life of each fixture.
Contact: Tim Gurdon
[email protected]
+44(0)20 3142 0142
Valuations
Valuations
We provide transparent, objective ship valuation service to major owners, banks and other financial institutions at short notice and a daily basis. We provide a retainer service for regular fleet valuations.
Contact: Ben Pusey
[email protected]
+44(0)20 3142 0125
Dry Cargo
Our dry bulk chartering teams in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Santiago, Lima, Montevideo, Singapore and London are cargo-focussed and they fix voyage, COA and time charter business on behalf of their clients with a wide range of ship owners.
Contact: David Oakley
[email protected]
+61 2 9937 8806
Finance
Affinity Financial Products Ltd is authorised by the FCA to provide advice and execution of regulated activities. We focus our efforts on asset-related transactions often structured as corporate share sales or mergers and acquisitions.
We work in partnership with investment banks providing specific, shipping-related advice.
Contact: Andrew Finn
[email protected]
+44(0)20 3142 0114
LNG
Our young and dynamic LNG team possess wide-ranging experience of spot and term charters working with all major LNG shipowners and charterers. The LNG team has close interaction with the Newbuilding and Sale & Purchase divisions with an unrivalled track record of contracting LNG newbuildings and in the sale and purchase of LNG assets.
We maintain up-to-date knowledge and an understanding of new technologies within the LNG sector to ensure that our clients can make the most suitable and cost-effective decisions on shipping solutions.
Contact: Joni Mackay
[email protected]
+44(0)20 3142 0133
Newbuilding
Our Newbuilding team has concluded over 500 newbuildings of all types, including LNGCs, FSRUs, drillships, crude tankers, product tankers and dry cargo vessels. We have contracted in all major newbuilding centres globally, with particular focus on the Korean Shipyards.
Contact: Nick Wood
[email protected]
+44(0)20 3142 0111
Offshore
Affinity Offshore is based out of our Oslo and Houston offices. The Team focuses on world-wide sale & purchase of offshore support vessels, as well as chartering – particularly in the Americas and Mediterranean/MENA regions.
Contact: Tor-Øyvind Bjørkli
[email protected]
+47 2109 8211
Research
Our research department combines real time market information with econometric modelling and the latest technology.
Contact: Fotios Katsoulas
[email protected]
+44(0)20 3142 0186
S & P
Our Sale & Purchase team has extensive experience of working with private clients, national shipping companies, major corporates, oil companies, grain houses and institutional investors. We provide a cradle to grave services across all shipping sectors. We operate from London, Singapore and Seoul to give 24-hour coverage of the markets, working for both newbuilding and second-hand buyers.
Contact: Toby English
[email protected]
+44(0)20 3142 0123
Tankers
Our established tanker chartering teams serve the industry from London, Houston and Santiago delivering a highly proficient spot chartering service with a prime position in the fuel oil market. The team has close relationships with oil majors, national oil companies, oil traders and major ship owners and operators.
Our ethos for operations and post-fixture is simple: these roles are as important to us as the chartering/commercial function, and we continue to apply those same principles of professional ship broking throughout the life of each fixture.
Contact: Tim Gurdon
[email protected]
+44(0)20 3142 0142
Valuations
We provide transparent, objective ship valuation service to major owners, banks and other financial institutions at short notice and a daily basis. We provide a retainer service for regular fleet valuations.
Contact: Ben Pusey
[email protected]
+44(0)20 3142 0125
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Floor 44
The Leadenhall Building
122 Leadenhall Street
London EC3A 8EE
T +44 (0)203 142 0100
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LONDON
Floor 44
The Leadenhall Building
122 Leadenhall Street
London EC3A 8EE
T +44 (0)203 142 0100
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72 Anson Road
#13–03 Anson House
Singapore
079911
T +65 6805 8760
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SINGAPORE
72 Anson Road
#13–03 Anson House
Singapore
079911
T +65 6805 8760
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Level 8
420 St Kilda Road
Melbourne
VIC 3004
Australia
T +61 398 671 466
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MELBOURNE
Level 8
420 St Kilda Road
Melbourne
VIC 3004
Australia
T +61 398 671 466
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8/38 Colin Street
West Perth
WA 6005
Australia
T +61 892 260 618
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PERTH
8/38 Colin Street
West Perth
WA 6005
Australia
T +61 892 260 618
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1st Floor
64 Alexander Street
Crows Nest, NSW 2065
Australia
T +61 299 378 800
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SYDNEY
1st Floor
64 Alexander Street
Crows Nest, NSW 2065
Australia
T +61 299 378 800
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#703, Shin-A Building
50 Seosomun-ro 11gil
Jung-gu, Seoul
South Korea
100-752
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SEOUL
#703, Shin-A Building
50 Seosomun-ro 11gil
Jung-gu, Seoul
South Korea
100-752
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601 Pacific House
20 Queen's Road Central
Central, Hong Kong
T +852 2154 2237
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HONG KONG
601 Pacific House
20 Queen's Road Central
Central, Hong Kong
T +852 2154 2237
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1301 McKinney Street
Suite 2975
Houston, Texas
77010, USA
T +1 832 925 7500
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HOUSTON
1301 McKinney Street
Suite 2975
Houston, Texas
77010, USA
T +1 832 925 7500
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Marco Polo Parkside Building 1204,
Anli Road No. 80,
Chaoyang District,
Beijing, China, 100101
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BEIJING
Marco Polo Parkside Building 1204,
Anli Road No. 80,
Chaoyang District,
Beijing, China, 100101
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Av. Jorge Basadre 356,
San Idro, Lima
Peru
T +51 1777 8944
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LIMA
Av. Jorge Basadre 356,
San Idro, Lima
Peru
T +51 1777 8944
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Augusto Leguia Norte 100
Office 710
Las Condes
7550155 Santiago
Chile
T +56 22 352 7100
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SANTIAGO
Augusto Leguia Norte 100
Office 710
Las Condes
7550155 Santiago
Chile
T +56 22 352 7100
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Misiones St. 1372,
1st Floor "De Los Patricios" Building,
11000 Montevideo, Uruguay
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MONTEVIDEO
Misiones St. 1372,
1st Floor "De Los Patricios" Building,
11000 Montevideo, Uruguay
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Inkognitogata 35,
0256 Oslo
Norway
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OSLO
Inkognitogata 35,
0256 Oslo
Norway
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