New orders contracted in global shipbuilding industry in January, 2013, turned out to be 95 vessels of a combined 7mDWT, 2.08mCGT, achieving a total of $4bn, and especially, in terms of three major commercial ships, 34 orders were awarded for bulker, 25 for tanker and 12 for containership, showing a possibility of recovery in commercial ship market.

According to Clarkson, China won a total of 58 vessels in a various range in January; they are, by vessel type, 27 bulkers (eight capesizes, 15 handysizes, etc), six VLCCs, one suezmax shuttle tanker, four 10,000TEU containerships, three LPG carriers, four LNG/Ethylene/LPG carriers, three 8,500CEU PCTCs, two drillships and seven offshore supply vessels, etc.

During the same period, Korea won contracts for a total of 20 vessels and they are one drillship, one LNG-FSRU, five 14,000TEU containerships and eight MR PCs, while Japan inked contracts for merely seven orders including five panamax bulkers and two 1,040TEU containerships (Hakata Zosen).  

Meanwhile, Clarkson Newbuilding Price index at the end of January was 126.2p with a 0.1p drop month-on-month, showing the lowest level since 2004, however, it seems to be strengthening its basis having repetitive ups and downs after the fourth quarter of last year.

As for global newbuilding delivery in the first month of this year, 190 vessels of a combined 13.4mDWT, 4mCGT, were delivered in a bottom basis with a 31% decrease compared to a year earlier. Annual delivery for 2013 is expected to fall by 13% year-on-year.

China is said that 52 shipyards out of a total of 153 shipyards (which secured more than one orderbook) delivered 82 vessels (51 bulkers included) while nine Korean shipyards delivered 46 vessels and 21 Japanese shipyards, 39 vessels.

Global newbuilding orderbook stood at 4,517 vessels of a combined 252.5mDWT, 91.7mCGT at the end of January, 2013, down by 2.6%, 3% and 2.6% respectively, month-on-month.

Particularly, contracting for new order is an urgent matter since 63% of the orderbook is scheduled to be delivered within this year.

Regarding orderbook ranking by shipbuilding group, STX Offshore & Shipbuilding of Korea (with 15 affiliated shipyards) jumped up to the second place with 6.48mCGT following Hyundai Heavy Industries of Korea (three shipyards) which ranked in the first place with 7.8mCGT. The third and fourth places were taken by Samsung Heavy Industries of Korea (two shipyards) with 6.07mCGT and Deawoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering of Korea (two shipyards) with 5.50mCGT, in order. Hyundai Mipo Dockyard of Korea (two shipyards) took the sixth place with 2.68mCGT, following Japan’s Imabari Shipbuilding (eight shipyards) which took the fifth place with 3.2mCGT.    

Meanwhile, global demolition sale for aged vessels in January totalled 98 vessels with a combined 4.4mDWT which is a tad less than 4.9mDWT, the monthly average of last year.