Chinese buyers appear to have won the bidding war for a Japanese-owned VLCC.

The unspecified buyers were said to have purchased the 311,110-dwt Taiga (built 2007) from Meiji Shipping Co for between $44m and $45m, according to broker reports.

One British broker said the ship was being circulated last week for between $41m and $42m with Chinese and Greek buyers in pursuit.