Danish Ship Finance (DSF) has seen its interim net profit fall by over one-third to DKK 52m ($8m) in the face of the weak shipping markets.

The Copenhagen-based shipping lender said earnings from lending before loan impairment charges for the first half of 2016 amounted to DKK 312m, against DKK 329m in the first half of 2015.

“Earnings from lending were positively impacted by a higher average Danish Kroner/US dollar exchange rate, but a decline in average lending detracted from performance,” DSF said.

The