Head of Japanese shipping giant warns of negative impact from U.S. restrictions on Chinese-made ships

During the Energy Asia event, Takeshi Hashimoto, president and CEO of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, one of Japan's largest shipping companies, expressed concerns in an interview with CNBC about the negative impact that U.S. restrictions on China-built vessels would have on the industry. He noted that China's shipbuilding industry is now highly competitive. Under the U.S. sanctions, ships built in China may only be used for trade not involving the U.S. He pointed out that such restrictions are unrealistic, as Japan's and South Korea's shipbuilding industries currently cannot match China's scale. For key sectors like liquefied natural gas carriers, relying on Chinese production may become necessary.