While the global shipbuilding industry turned out to have signed contracts for 95 vessels, 2.08m CGT in the full January, 2013, the Chinese builders accounted for more than half of the total, 56%. According to Clarkson, Korean shipbuilders inked the contracts of 20 newbuildings, 710,000CGT, worth of $1.876bn.

The nations’ newbuilding projects which surfaced in January include one drillship and one LNG-FSRU from Samsung Heavy Industries of Korea, five 14,000TEU very large containerships from Hyundai Heavy Industries, four VLCCs from Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries, two  MR PCs and one 1,000TEU containership from Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, six MR PCs from SPP shipbuilding, etc.

Meanwhile, China moved further ahead of Korea in terms of the number of ships contracted and CGT in January, taking 58 vessels, 1.17m CGT, however, it is reported to have earned less than Korea, making only $1.818bn.

As for the newbuilding projects contracted by Chinese shipyards and revealed in January, in the offshore segment, first of all, two drillships of CSSC Shanghai Shipyard, one 152,000DWT shuttle tanker of COSCO Zhoushan Shipyard, two Platform Supply Vessels of COSCO Guangdong Shipyard and one Subsea Supply Vessel of Fujian Southeast Shipyard.

Regarding the commercial ship, surfaced were four 10,000TEU very large containerships of Yangzijiang Shipyard, four 3,900TEU containerships of Dalian Shipbuilding Industry, five Capesize bulkers of Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipyard, four Capesize bulkers of STX Dalian, four 61,000DWT bulkers of NACKS, two MR PCs of Guangzhou Shipyard International, two 7,000DWT PCs of Samjin Shipbuilding Industries, three 8,500CEU PCTCs, four 30,000CBM gas carriers of Qidong Dajiang Shipbuilding.

While Korea was shown to continue its newbuildings contracted in its commercial ship segment which is its traditional strength, China appeared to increase its newbuilding shares newly in the commercial ship market, with the very large containerships and the very large PCTC and also in offshore market with the drillships and shuttle tankers.

Meanwhile, the global newbuilding orderbook remained in decline at the end of January month-on-month, with 4,520 vessels, 91.73mCGT, which turned out to have fallen to lowest level in eight years.

The orderbook secured by Korean builders was calculated to be 28.66mCGT (791 vessels) and Chinese orderbook to be 33.25mCGT (1,839 vessels).

The offshore projects contracted in January, 2013, which were not reported by Clarkson, were Hyundai’s topside facility for the Spar gas production platform and two semi-submersible drilling rigs of CIMC Raffles of China.