Japan yards slow

Export orders at Japanese shipbuilders fell below 20mgt for the first time in three years in 2008, according to an industry body.

Export orders placed in Japan fell below 20mgt for the first time in three years.

There were 57 fewer bulker orders than in 2007 while tanker orders were down almost 30% compared to a year earlier.

Newbuilding export orders in Japan remained firm until September 2008 and then plunged to the 500,000-gt mark in October.

The situation was compounded by a poor December in which only six export orders of 274,970-gt was reported.

December’s order haul included three handysize and one capesize bulkers, an aframax tanker and a pure car carrier.

This is in stark contrast to twelve months earlier when JSEA member yards reported newbuilding orders for 57 ships of 3mgt.

Twenty-seven ships of 1.5mgt were delivered in December 2008 taking the total for the year to 343 ships of just under 16mgt.

The total export orderbook at JSEA member yards stood at 1,392 ships of 67.7mgt. This compares with 1,316 ships of 65mgt in 2007.

JSEA members include Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Imabari Shipbuilding, IHI Marine United, Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding, Universal Shipbuilding, Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corp and Sasebo Heavy Industries.

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