Demand for sub-3,000-teu containerships is pushing asset values significantly higher.

The increases are reflected in the sale of the 2,450-teu Kota Puri (built 2008), one of 11 boxships in the fleet of Japan’s Santoku Senpaku, for a price in the region of $12.5m, according to European brokers.

The price is around 10% higher than similar last done sales and continues the flurry of sales of the geared containerships built at the Naikai shipyard in Japan.