Japanese shipyard Tsuneishi Shipbuilding said on July 14 it is trying to secure orders for tankers and container vessels in addition to the dry bulk carriers that it specializes in.

The shipbuilder confirmed it has recently won orders for six 106,000 dwt Aframax tankers that would be delivered in 2017-18.

The tankers would be built in Tsuneishi's yard in Hiroshima, but the shipbuilder would not reveal the customer's identity.

With the tanker orders, the Hiroshima yard would be kept occupied until end of 2018.

Tsuneishi, which also has a yard in Cebu, Philippines, has been known for building Kamsarmax and Handymax bulkers, having delivered more than 200 of such ships.

However, the Baltic Dry Index's slump to a historic low in February has discouraged shipowners from building bulkers, a situation that has adversely affected Japanese shipbuilders that mainly specialize in bulkers.

Since then, Namura Shipbuilding and Sumitomo Heavy Industries have also begun building tankers again.