Containership owners are raking in so much money in hot markets that some may not need financing for newbuilding orders at all.

Olga Petrovic, head of the asset finance practice and co-head of the transportation sector group at law firm Linklaters, told TradeWinds that certain boxship clients are enjoying their most profitable run for 15 years.

The maritime finance specialist said: "So in many cases they are refinancing facilities, they're repaying loans, and with newbuildings they're considering whether to finance the acquisition of the new vessels or to simply pay in cash — which we haven't really seen in shipping since before the financial crisis."

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