Belgian shipowner Compagnie Maritime Belge’s (CMB) appetite for newcastlemax bulk carrier newbuildings continues unabated.

The company, which ordered 20 vessels between July 2021 and November last year at state-owned Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry, has added up to four more newbuildings at the same shipyard.

Shipbuilding sources following CMB’s activities told TradeWinds that “the order is a fresh new deal and not a declaration of optional units”.