The handysize sale-and-purchase market roared to life in June, racking up the strongest sales tally of the year so far. More than 10 ships hanged hands last month, with four deals inked just last week.

Japanese-built tonnage continues to command a premium, with buyers shrugging off age in favour of build pedigree, engine spec, and dry-docking advantage.

Leading the charge is the Aries Sakura, a five-year-old, 40,000 dwt Shin Kurushima-built unit, reportedly sold to Greek buyers. Pricing remains slightly murky, with numbers floating between $25.5m and $26.2m, but either way, the sale marks a new benchmark for modern handysize tonnage. The deal leapfrogs last month’s Bunun Orchid sale (2021-built, I-S Shipyard, 37,875 dwt) at $24.75m, according to VesselsValue.

Demand is focused on Tier II and Tier III-compliant ships, ideally with recent or well-positioned dry dockings. Age is increasingly negotiable if the hull hails from Japan.

June’s tally spans a wide age range including the Sider Olympia (2013, Imabari) sold for $15.65m, the Dogan (2013, Korea) fetched $15.15m, while the Pelagiani (2004, Shikoku) went for $7.8m

The price gap between Japanese and Chinese tonnage remains stark. The New York Trader III (2016-built, China) fetched just $17.3m in June, well below the $18m paid in April for the Bunun Hero, a one-year older Japanese-built counterpart.

Beneath the flurry of sales lies a structural driver: an ageing fleet. A significant chunk of the global handysize pool is now 10 years or older, and owners are under pressure to refresh with eco-efficient hulls that can hold up to coming regulatory scrutiny.