Diana Shipping : Form 20-F Form 40-F - Form 6-K

FORM 6-K

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13A-16 OR 15D-16

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the month of February 2023

Commission File Number: 001-32458

DIANA SHIPPING INC.

(Translation of registrant's name into English)

Pendelis 16, 175 64 Palaio Faliro, Athens, Greece

(Address of principal executive office)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

Form 20-F [X] Form 40-F [ ]

INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS FORM 6-K REPORT

Attached to this Report on Form 6-K as Exhibit 99.1 is a press release dated February 1, 2023 of Diana Shipping Inc. (the "Company") announcing that, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, it has signed a Memorandum of Agreement to sell one of its dry bulk vessels, the m/v Melia, to OceanPal Inc., a related party.

The information contained in this Report on Form 6-K is hereby incorporated by reference into the Company's registration statements on Form F-3 (File Nos. 333-256791 and 333-266999) that were filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and became effective on July 9, 2021 and September 16, 2022, respectively.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

	DIANA SHIPPING INC.
	(registrant)
Dated: February 1, 2023	By:	/s/ Anastassis Margaronis
		Anastassis Margaronis
		President

Exhibit 99.1

				Corporate Contact:
				Ioannis Zafirakis
				Director, Chief Financial Officer,
				Chief Strategy Officer, Treasurer and Secretary
				Telephone: + 30-210-9470-100
				Email: [e-mail]
				Website: www.dianashippinginc.com
				Twitter: @Dianaship
For Immediate Release
				Investor and Media Relations:
				Edward Nebb
				Comm-Counsellors, LLC
				Telephone: + 1-203-972-8350
				Email: [e-mail]

DIANA SHIPPING INC. ANNOUNCES THE SALE OF A PANAMAX DRY

BULK VESSEL, THE M/V MELIA

ATHENS, GREECE, February 1, 2023 - Diana Shipping Inc. (NYSE: DSX), (the "Company"), a global shipping company specializing in the ownership and bareboat charter-in of dry bulk vessels, announced that it has signed, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, a Memorandum of Agreement to sell one of its dry bulk vessels, the m/v Melia, to OceanPal Inc., a related party. The aggregate sale price of the vessel is US$14.0 million. Of the sale price, US$4.0 million was paid upon signing of the Memorandum of Agreement and the remaining amount will be paid upon the delivery of the vessel in the form of shares of the OceanPal Inc.'s Series D Preferred Stock, the terms of which are set forth in the statement of designation of the Series D Preferred Stock. The aggregate sale price was agreed upon based on the average of two independent shipbroker vessel valuations, taking into account the share-based component of the consideration.

The m/v Melia is a 2005-built Panamax dry bulk vessel with a carrying capacity of 76,225 dwt. Delivery to the buyer is expected to occur by the end of February 2023. The sale and purchase of the vessel was made pursuant to OceanPal Inc.'s exercise of a right of first refusal granted by the Company on six identified vessels (including the m/v Melia) based on an agreement dated November 8, 2021. The sale of the m/v Melia to OceanPal Inc. was approved by a committee of independent members of the Company's Board of Directors.

Upon completion of the previously announced sale of m/v Aliki and the aforementioned sale, Diana Shipping Inc.'s fleet will consist of 41 dry bulk vessels (4 Newcastlemax, 10 Capesize, 5 Post-Panamax, 6 Kamsarmax, 7 Panamax and 9 Ultramax). As of today, the combined carrying capacity of our fleet, including the m/v Melia and the m/v Aliki, is approximately 4.9 million dwt with a weighted average age of 10.27 years. A table describing the current Diana Shipping Inc. fleet can be found on the Company's website, www.dianashippinginc.com. Information contained on the Company's website does not constitute a part of this press release.

About the Company

Diana Shipping Inc. is a global provider of shipping transportation services through its ownership and bareboat charter-in of dry bulk vessels. The Company's vessels are employed primarily on short to medium-term time charters and transport a range of dry bulk cargoes, including such commodities as iron ore, coal, grain and other materials along worldwide shipping routes.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Matters discussed in this press release may constitute 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. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts.

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 words "believe," "anticipate," "intends," "estimate," "forecast," "project," "plan," "potential," "may," "should," "expect," "pending" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, Company management's examination of historical operating 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 that 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.

In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in the Company's view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the severity, magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, including impacts of the pandemic and of businesses' and governments' responses to the pandemic on our operations, personnel, and on the demand for seaborne transportation of bulk products; the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand for dry bulk shipping capacity, changes in the Company's operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for the Company's vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, including risks associated with the continuing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and related sanctions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessel breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other factors. Please see the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.