South Korean and Japanese companies have joined forces to form a joint breakbulk and project cargo link between the Far East and Middle East. Seoul-based HMM and Tokyo-based NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers have decided to collaborate in their breakbulk services between the two regions. 

HMM, a multipurpose shipping carrier specialising in service to the Middle East, and NBP, a global heavy-lift and project cargo carrier, recognised that mutual business cooperation could benefit from their strengths and expertise in the carriage of breakbulk and project cargo between Japan/Korea and the Middle East and lead to the develop of future opportunities.

HMM noted that the partnership will provide a weekly breakbulk service between the Far East and the Middle East.

NBP is a unit of Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line), one of the world’s largest shipping companies, and is an ocean carrier of project cargo and heavy-lift cargo in Japan. NBP operates a fleet of about 40 crane-equipped multipurpose (MPP) vessels, including the two newly built heavy-lift vessels MV Katori and MV Kifune, each of which is equipped with a combinable 800 mt crane and a long single hatch that can transport a wide range of cargo, including onshore and offshore wind-power components, as well as high-and-heavy project cargo.

Seoul-based HMM is a shipping company that provides logistics solutions through the use of container ships, tankers, and bulk vessels. In particular, HMM is a heavy-lift shipping company operating five to six large MPP vessels (DWT 30,000 MT) out of Korea. Each vessel is equipped with a combinable 640 mt crane.