The German shipping industry has broken several records during recent years.
German shipowners are operating the largest and most modern containership fleet in the world and placed the largest volume of newbuildings over the past year, while about nine billion Euro has been invested in German shipping throughout 2003.
Record charter rates have been reported and some German shipyards have a substantial order book volume until 2008. These facts have helped the German shipping industry attain its position as one of the most important players in the world.
The German tonnage tax and KG funding legislation are deemed to be the drivers behind many of the investments being ploughed into the German shipping industry and, although the legislation is subject to political discussion and could change, it is predicted that the framework will remain in place until at least 2006. The investment pattern over the past three years would indicate 100-120 newbuildings per year, the majority of which are containerships.
Against this backdrop of investment and growth, a significant share of the German-operated fleet is now classed to DNV. In fact, in grt terms, 12 percent of the existing German fleet and 20 percent of all newbuildings in Germany are classed by the society, making DNV the second largest class society in the country and providing the organisation with a very important market.
The relationship between the German shipping industry and DNV is close and to strengthen this relationship the classification society has recently established its DNV National Committee. This comprises 19 owners and chief executives of German shipping companies and yards. This good relationship has already resulted in several German shipowners placing containership newbuildings with DNV class in Korea, Poland and China.
DNV is committed to further strengthening its efforts in Germany in order to fulfil the heightening expectations of its clients and to ensure that they will continue to receive the same excellent service in the future.