Switzerland-based shipowner and operator Suisse-Atlantique has confirmed another major fleet expansion in China, further underlining its long-established role as a specialised dry bulk shipping group with a strong and enduring presence in the sector. Suisse-Atlantique president and chief executive Jean-Noel Andre said the Swiss owner has already executed contracts for four bulk carrier newbuildings and expects to conclude a fifth agreement within days, with the total programme valued at more than $167 million and being pursued alongside an undisclosed partner. Market indications suggest that the project covers five 63,500 DWT ultramax bulk carriers at a Chinese shipyard, making the programme a significant move in terms of both fleet modernisation and future growth. The importance of this development is tied not only to the scale of the order, but also to the identity of Suisse-Atlantique itself. Suisse-Atlantique is a family-owned shipping group whose history extends back more than 80 years, and it has remained firmly dedicated to dry bulk transportation, ship management, and freight services rather than diversifying across multiple shipping segments. That background gives the Chinese newbuilding programme added weight. Suisse-Atlantique does not appear to be ordering tonnage simply to take advantage of a passing opportunity, but instead seems to be extending a carefully assembled dry bulk platform that already spans handysize bulk carriers, supramax bulk carriers, ultramax bulk carriers, and post-panamax bulk carriers. The group has long placed emphasis on technical expertise, commercial consistency, and specialist dry bulk know-how, and the latest order in China fits squarely within that established profile. Seen in this broader context, the decision by Suisse-Atlantique to commit to five newbuildings in China signals clear confidence in its future dry bulk business and in the long-term commercial relevance of modern geared bulk carriers. By teaming up with an undisclosed partner, locking in several ships within one programme, and proceeding with an investment valued above $167 million, Suisse-Atlantique is demonstrating that it remains an active, confident, and strategically disciplined Swiss dry bulk owner committed to further strengthening its fleet in an intensely competitive international shipping market. 17-March-2026
The MV Nyon, a Marshall Islands-flagged ultramax bulk carrier owned by Swiss shipowner Suisse Atlantique, was robbed while anchored in Conakry, Guinea, 16 nautical miles south of Conakry. The Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade Gulf of Guinea (MDAT GoG), a piracy reporting organization, conveyed that a quartet of armed individuals illicitly boarded the MV Nyon, an ultramax bulk carrier controlled by Suisse Atlantique and constructed in 2021. During the course of the robbery, the crew members were subjected to assault, resulting in minor injuries. Despite the presence of three other vessels within a three-nautical mile radius, they remained unaffected. At approximately 03:30 hours local time in Guinea, a group of armed perpetrators boarded the 2021-built ultramax bulk carrier MV Nyon. They absconded with some of the vessel’s property and belongings, but assured the safety of all crew members, with no reports of injuries. The operational capabilities of the 2021-built ultramax bulk carrier MV Nyon, under the control of Suisse Atlantique, remain intact. In the Gulf of Guinea, there were a total of 19 pirate attacks last year, a decrease from the 35 incidents reported in 2021. According to the annual piracy report by the International Maritime Organization, there were 131 recorded global incidents last year, marking the lowest number of reported occurrences since 1995. Nevertheless, the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB), an anti-piracy organization, has been advocating for a consistent, robust, and coordinated naval presence in the region, particularly after two tanker hijackings earlier this year. On the 10th of July 1941, Mr. Georges Alfred André, the esteemed CEO (Chief Executive Officer) and President of André & Cie, established Suisse-Atlantique. Suisse-Atlantique’s inaugural vessel is the MV St-Cergue, meticulously overseen under their management. This remarkable ship proudly carries the name of the ancestral village from which the Mr. Georges Alfred André family originates. In the year 2017, Mr. Eric André gracefully concludes his remarkable half-century of dedicated service with Suisse-Atlantique, including an impressive 36-year tenure as the esteemed presidency. On the auspicious date of July 1st, 2017, the baton of leadership is seamlessly passed on to the capable hands of the newly appointed CEO and President, Mr. Jean-Noel André, assuming the mantle of authority. Currently, Switzerland-based shipowner and operator Suisse-Atlantique owns and operates 14 bulk carriers. 23-June-2023
Switzerland-based shipowner and operator Suisse-Atlantique another vintage bulk carrier. Suisse-Atlantique sold 1999 built panamax bulk carrier 73K DWT MV Celerina for around $5.5 million. CEO Eric Andre-led shipowner and operator Suisse-Atlantique has sold MV Celerina as part of its ongoing fleet optimization. 1999 built panamax bulk carrier 73K DWT MV Celerina was constructed at CSBC Corporation (China Shipbuilding Corporation). The sale of MV Celerina confirms the prevailing trend of declining values in the market for such bulk carriers. 10-October-2018
Switzerland-based shipowner and operator Suisse-Atlantique is currently in the process of selling two of its older handysize bulk carriers to a Greek shipowner, marking its first sale in over a year. CEO Eric Andre-led shipowner and operator Suisse-Atlantique 2003 built handysize bulk carrier 29K DWT MV Silvretta and 2003 built handysize bulk carrier 29K DWT MV Silvaplana for a combined sum of approximately $14.3 million. MV Silvretta and MV Silvaplana were built by Shikoku Dockyard. Handysize bulk carriers have experienced a significant increase in value since the lowest point of the dry-bulk market decline. 4-June-2018
Switzerland-based shipowner and operator Suisse-Atlantique is currently divesting itself of a second panamax bulk carrier within a week, at a time when Chinese shipowners are showing great interest in ships built in the late 1990s. CEO Eric Andre-led shipowner and operator Suisse-Atlantique has sold 1999 built panamax bulk carrier 73K DWT MV General Guisan for around $4.1 million. MV General Guisan was constructed at CSBC Corporation (China Shipbuilding Corporation). This price represents a $1 million premium over the 1999 built panamax bulk carrier 73K DWT MV General Guisan’s demolition value and is the same amount achieved by the sistership, MV Nyon when it was sold to a Chinese shipowner. Switzerland-based shipowner and operator Suisse-Atlantique currently possesses two (2) additional bulk carriers from the same series, namely the MV Corviglia and MV Celerina, both built in 1999. However, it seems that these bulk carriers are not currently being considered for sale. According to the Suisse-Atlantique CEO Eric Andre, both of these bulk carriers are currently engaged in charter agreements for a period of two years. 17-January-2017
Switzerland-based shipowner and operator Suisse-Atlantique is currently divesting itself of four (4) vintage panamax bulk carriers. CEO Eric Andre-led shipowner and operator Suisse-Atlantique has sold 1999 built panamax bulk carrier 73K DWT MV Nyon for around $4.1 million to a Chinese shipowner. Currently, Chinese shipowners are showing great interest in ships built in the late 1990s. MV Nyon was constructed at CSBC Corporation (China Shipbuilding Corporation). While the 1999 built panamax bulk carrier 73K DWT MV Nyon’s demolition value stands at a mere $3 million, there is a notable interest from Chinese buyers, particularly for panamaxes built in the late 1990s. Suisse-Atlantique possesses four sister panamax bulk carriers. 10-January-2017
Switzerland-based shipowner and operator Suisse-Atlantique initiates legal action against Gavilon in a dispute over cargo. Suisse-Atlantique asserts that it became entangled in a legal battle in China despite being assured by the US charterer that the quality of the dark grain was not a concern. A subsidiary of Suisse-Atlantique Navigation Maritime, an affiliate of the ship operator, has filed a lawsuit in Delaware against Gavilon. The lawsuit contends that the US agricultural company should bear responsibility for a conflict in China involving an allegedly discoloured grain shipment. Oceana Shipping, the registered owner of Suisse-Atlantique’s 999 built panamax bulk carrier 73K DWT MV Nyon, claims that it was implicated in the Chinese legal proceedings that posed a threat of arresting the panamax bulk carrier. Oceana Shipping’s legal representatives informed a US federal judge that the company has issued a LOI (letter of indemnity) amounting to $2.4 million. 10-October-2016
Switzerland-based shipowner and operator Suisse-Atlantique acquires two (2) supramax bulk carriers from Copehagen-based shipowner Lauritzen. Suisse-Atlantique is venturing into the supramax segment by purchasing two (2) supramax bulk carriers from Lauritzen Bulkers of Denmark. CEO Eric Andre-led shipowner and operator Suisse-Atlantique acquired 2011 built supramax bulk carrier 57K DWT MV Toucan Bulker and 2011 built supramax bulk carrier 57K DWT MV Thunderbird Bulker. Suisse-Atlantique is paying $29.5 million per ship. MV Toucan Bulker and MV Thunderbird Bulker were constructed by Tsuneishi Cebu, had been part of the Lauritzen fleet since their delivery. In May, Switzerland-based shipowner and operator Suisse-Atlantique committed to acquiring three (3) bulk carriers, each with a capacity of 87K DWT from Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD) for a total cost of slightly over $100 million. 19-December-2013
Switzerland-based shipowner and operator Suisse-Atlantique is investing over $100 million to enhance its fleet. Suisse-Atlantiqu has commissioned three (3) bulk carriers weighing 87K DWT from Hyundi Mipo Dockyard (HMD) in Ulsan. These vessels are scheduled for delivery in 2015 and 2016. These newly constructed bulk carriers, with their shallow draught, will be slightly larger than kamsarmax vessels, thereby rendering them unable to dock at the Port of Kamsar. The length of each bulk carrier measures approximately 200 meters, with a beam spanning 38 meters. Switzerland-based shipowner and operator Suisse-Atlantique’s bulk carriers engage in global trade, but the company holds a particular interest in trading along the Amazon River. 9-May-2013