Summary of Conference Call Notes Industry and Company Involved - **Industry**: Shipping and Shipbuilding - **Companies**: COSCO Shipping Energy (1138.HK/600026.SS), Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (YAZG.SI) Key Points and Arguments Special Port Fees Announcement - On October 10, China's Ministry of Transport announced special port fees on US-owned, operated, flagged, and built vessels, effective from October 14, 2025, in response to US Trade Representative's (USTR) Section 301 measures [1][2] - The scope of these fees includes vessels owned or operated by companies with at least a 25% stake owned by US entities [1][2] Impact on Shipping Capacity and Freight Rates - There is potential for short-term disruption in effective shipping capacity, particularly for Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs), due to fleet redeployment to avoid fees [2][7] - The effective capacity disruption could lead to an upside in VLCC freight rates, compounded by existing supply shortages and China's crude restocking efforts [2][7] - COSCO Shipping Energy is expected to benefit significantly from this situation due to its high exposure to VLCCs [2][7] Limited Negative Impact on Chinese Shipbuilding - The negative impact on Chinese shipbuilding from higher US port service fees is likely limited, as only 4% of the international fleet calling at US ports are China-built or operated vessels [2][7] - Non-China shipping operators can redeploy China-built vessels out of the US, mitigating potential losses [2][7] Financial Projections and Ratings - COSCO Shipping Energy has a Buy rating with a 12-month target price of Rmb14.7/HK$8.8, based on a price-to-book (P/B) methodology [9] - Yangzijiang Shipbuilding also has a Buy rating with a target price of SGD 4.00, derived from P/B vs. ROE valuation [12] Risks to Price Targets - Key downside risks for COSCO Shipping Energy include the removal of sanctions on Russian oil, unexpected capacity delivery, and softer oil consumption demand due to macroeconomic conditions [10] - For Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, risks include higher-than-expected steel prices and more stringent regulations from the USTR targeting Chinese-built vessels [13] Additional Important Information - The special port fees announced by both the USTR and China's Ministry of Transport are approximately 10% higher than previously announced fees by the USTR [6][8] - The maximum charge for these fees is limited to five times per year, with vessels calling at multiple ports charged only once [6][8]