ORIX Signs Share Transfer Agreement for Santoku Senpaku

TOKYO, Japan – February 15, 2024 – ORIX Corporation (“ORIX”) announced today that it has signed a share transfer agreement with the existing shareholders of leading Japanese shipowner Santoku Senpaku Co., Ltd. (“Santoku Senpaku”). ORIX plans to acquire all issued shares in the company by the end of March 2024.

ORIX intends to enhance profitability and business growth in partnership with Santoku Senpaku by drawing on ORIX Group’s domestic and international sales networks, corporate management knowhow and solid financial foundation. This will allow ORIX to conduct comprehensive ship operation management in-house and provide asset management services for ships owned by third-parties.

Established in 1972 and built up by the founding president over a single generation, Santoku Senpaku owns, leases and manages the operation of ships. Originally entering the market as a seafarer dispatch business, the company expanded its fields of operation to the ownership of both ocean-going^*1 and coastal ships^*2. One of Japan’s largest ship owners, Santoku Senpaku currently owns 67 ships of various types—including bulk carriers that transport iron ore, grain, and other cargo; car carriers; and container vessels—and leases its fleet to leading Japanese and overseas natural resources companies and grain companies. Santoku Senpaku operates an international and multi-faceted ship business. In addition to carrying out in-house seafarer training and dispatch, and ship maintenance and management, the company also undertakes operation management work for ships owned by other companies. In recent years, it has sought to transition to the use of cutting-edge environmentally friendly ships, placing orders for car carriers capable of operating on liquefied natural gas (LNG).

In 2023, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, reinforced its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets to "net-zero by around 2050"^*3 for international shipping. Reducing environmental impact from maritime industry has been a critical issue. ORIX and Santoku Senpaku aim to address the environmental impact reduction of the maritime industry by diversifying its fleets, including the adoption of next-generation environmentally friendly ships. Additionally, in Japan the companies will tackle the modal shift in transportation to coastal shipping^*4 as part of efforts to decarbonize the industry.

ORIX has more than 50 years’ experience in shipping, beginning in Japan in the late 1960s with a secondhand ship leasing business and since then building up expertise in ship investment (owning and operations); ship purchases, sales, and brokerage; and international ship financing. ORIX will continue to draw on its experience and expertise to support the growth of maritime industries that possess stable business foundations and provide high-quality services.

*1 An ocean-going ship is a ship that engages in international trade
*2 A coastal ship is a ship that engages solely in domestic transportation
*3 Revised GHG reduction strategy for global shipping adopted (source: IMO)
*4 The modal shift in transportation to coastal shipping refers to the policy of transitioning from the use of conventional truck transportation to the use of more environmentally friendly railroads and ships (source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)

Santoku Senpaku Website

Contact Information:
Investor Relations and Sustainability Department
ORIX Corporation
Tel: +81-3-3435-3121

About ORIX Group:
ORIX Group (ORIX Corporation TSE: 8591; NYSE: IX) was established in 1964 and has grown from its roots in leasing in Japan to become a global, diverse, and unique corporate group. Today, it is active around the world in financing and investment, life insurance, banking, asset management, real estate, concession, environment and energy, automobile-related services, industrial/ICT equipment, ships and aircraft. Since expanding outside of Japan in 1971, ORIX Group has grown its business globally and now operates in around 30 countries and regions across the world with approximately 35,000 people. ORIX Group unites globally around its Purpose: “Finding Paths. Making Impact.” combining diverse expertise and innovative thinking to help our world develop in a sustainable way.
For more details, please visit our website: https://www.orix.co.jp/grp/en/
(As of November 1, 2023)

Caution Concerning Forward Looking Statements:
These documents may contain forward-looking statements about expected future events and financial results that involve risks and uncertainties. Such statements are based on our current expectations and are subject to uncertainties and risks that could cause actual results that differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause such a difference include, but are not limited to, those described under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and under “(4) Risk Factors” of the “1. Summary of Consolidated Financial Results” of the “Consolidated Financial Results April 1, 2022 – March 31, 2023” furnished on Form 6-K.