Japanese shipping giant Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line) is reporting that three shipping and ship-management companies within the NYK Group – Asahi Shipping Co., Ltd., Hachiuma Steamship Co., Ltd., and Mitsubishi Ore Transport Co., Ltd., entered into a merger agreement to integrate their business operations.

The companies entered into a merger agreement on October 28, 2025, and will integrate their operations under the new company NYK Bulkship Partners Co., Ltd.

NYK Bulkship Partners is set to launch operations in April 2026.

The new entity will have 21 owned vessels as well as 90 managed vessels (including vessels owned by the company and vessels managed by subsidiaries).  

Koichi Uragami, the president and representative director of Mitsubishi Ore Transport, will lead the newly formed entity.

The executive vice-presidents will be Hiroaki Ohashi (advisor (full-time), Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha), Koji Shinozaki (president and representative director, Hachiuma Steamship Co., Ltd.) and Hiroshi Kawaguchi (president and representative director, Asahi Shipping Co., Ltd.)

NYK Bulkship Partners, abbreviated as NBSP, will be headquartered at the Shinagawa Intercity Building C in Minato-ku, Tokyo. The new company will commence its operations on April 1, 2026, with a capital investment of 500 million yen.