Japan’s Imabari Shipbuilding has become a leading shareholder in Oslo-listed shipowner Belships.

According to Norwegian financial daily Finansavisen, the Japanese shipbuilder now holds about about 7% of the bulker company's shares.

This makes Imabari the fourth-largest shareholder in the company.

Payment in shares

In three weeks, Belships is slated to take delivery of an ultramax newbuilding from the Japanese shipbuilder, and part of the payment was to be made in the Norwegian shipowner's shares.