Germany's Maritime Transport + Logistik (MTL) has denied reports by shipbrokers that a fleet of handysize bulkers it operates has been sold.

Brokers reported four of the six Hyundai Mipo-built handysizes that belong to low-profile Western Maritime have been sold $43m.

MTL, the Duisburg-based dry bulk chartering arm of Germany's Hartmann Group, commercially operates the six handysizes and a small fleet of minibulkers for Western Marine.