Japan’s Class NK, also known by its full name, Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, is closing back in on the top spot in the ship classification rankings, a position it relinquished seven years ago when Norway’s Det Norske Veritas merged with Hamburg-based Germanischer Lloyd to create the current world leader, DNV GL.

The latest data contained in the September edition of the Clarksons Research World Fleet Monitor, published yesterday, shows Class NK is the biggest gainer among the members of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) this year with DNV GL seeing the largest reversals in terms of classed fleet size.

Class NK’s fleet has grown by more than 7m gt year-on-year while DNV GL’s has slid by nearly 4m gt, according to Clarksons with the two societies almost neck and neck in size with a sizeable gap to ABS in third place.

Japanese owners, which still form the bedrock of the Class NK fleet, have received more newbuildings than any other nationality over the last 12 months, Clarksons data shows. Moreover, their orderbook still to deliver is second only to China, suggesting the gap with DNV GL will close further in the coming months.