Chinese burn for world shipbuilding

摘要

Convince yourself that China will Abstractincrease steel production from 220 to 300M tonnes by 2005/06, that its ore imports will continue to escalate at an annual rate of about 35M tonnes, and that demand in the key Capesize market will indeed outstrip supply between now and 2006, and you might feel you need a ship. Last week DNV brought together several luminaries to discuss what you would be letting yourself in for if you decided to place an order in China. China will build most of the world's ships one day, but right now orderbooks full to the brim in Japan and South Korea mean that China's moment may have already arrived. In a country of such vast scale and impact on the world economy, it is almost no surprise that the number of its shipyards has to be estimated, the latest count being 600/800, according to DNV's Andrew Westwood, CEO for'greater China'.