SINGAPORE, Aug. 08, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Grindrod Shipping Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRIN) (JSE: GSH) (“Grindrod Shipping” or "Company" or “it” or “we”), a global provider of maritime transportation services in the drybulk and product tanker sectors, announced that it took delivery of the IVS Okudogo today, the first of the two owned ultramax “eco” newbuildings that the Company agreed to acquire in May 2018. In conjunction with the delivery, the Company is also pleased to announce the completion of a drawdown of a portion of the previously announced $31.4 million indicative newbuild financing with IYO Bank for the vessel. The $15.7 million facility relating to the IVS Okudogo has a seven-year term, is repayable in quarterly installments with a balloon payment at the end of the repayment schedule, bears interest at a rate of LIBOR plus 200 basis points per annum and is secured by, amongst other security, the IVS Okudogo.  Following this drawdown, $15.7 million remains available for the purchase of the IVS Prestwick, which the Company expects to take delivery of in September 2019.

About Grindrod Shipping Holdings Ltd.

Grindrod Shipping owns and operates a diversified fleet of owned and long-term and short-term chartered-in drybulk vessels and product tankers. The drybulk business, which operates under the brand “Island View Shipping” (“IVS”) includes a fleet of 17 handysize drybulk carriers and 14 supramax/ultramax drybulk carriers on the water, including IVS Okudogo, with three ultramax drybulk carriers under construction in Japan due be delivered in 2019 and 2020. The tanker business, which operates under the brand “Unicorn Shipping” (“Unicorn”) includes a fleet of seven medium range tankers and two small tankers. The Company is based in Singapore, with offices in London, Durban, Tokyo, Cape Town and Rotterdam. Grindrod Shipping is listed on NASDAQ under the ticker “GRIN” and on the JSE under the ticker “GSH”.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements in this press release that are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, including, without limitation, Grindrod Shipping management's examination of historical trends, data contained in the Company's records and other data available from third parties. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond the Company's control, the Company cannot assure you that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that the term loan facility described above will be obtained on the terms described or ultimately entered into. These risks and uncertainties include, among others, those discussed in Grindrod Shipping's public filings with the SEC. Except as required by law, Grindrod Shipping undertakes no obligation to update publicly or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.