Pieters Winters, Member of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (MICA) and representative of Asphaltos at the LPG conference of Argus Iran Commodity Week, told Shana that his company operates five asphalt tankers and is used to trade cargoes in bulk.
He said Asphaltos' shipment capacity is 5 to 11 thousand tons but it is expecting another 10,000 tonner by the end of the year and a 15,000 tonner by the middle of next year.
"There is a lot of crude that is moving out of Iran but there is still mechanics that needs to be overcome in terms of the banks feeling more comfortable, the insurance of the ships, etc.," Winters said.
"Last year, we traded and shipped a total of 500,000 tons of asphalt always in bulk. We get plenty of inquiries for drummed and bagged products and this is the reason why I came here," he added.
Iran is such a big producer of asphalt that "makes it a very likely supply source especially now that sanctions have been lifted or are starting to move in that direction. We are waiting for all the European banks to start doing business with Iran, plus insurance. I suspect that is a question time," Winters said.
Asphaltos Trade SA has been in business since 1999 and as the company name suggests our primary focus has been on the shipping and trading of asphalt / bitumen products. Today it supplies asphalt to customers in Europe, the Mediterranean, Africa, the Caribbean, Central and South America using four asphalt tankers that it has under our control, as well as other vessels which are chartered in from time to time. It can source asphalt from refineries world-wide including North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia.
The company’s personnel have a wealth of experience in the asphalt business which enables us to devise innovative solutions to our customer’s supply problems. It is constantly searching for ways to develop the business by developing new sources of asphalt, optimizing shipping solutions and providing reliable and timely service to its customers at the best possible price.
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