Japanese Ship Export Contracts Up

Ship export contracts concluded by Japanese shipyards in December totaled 16 vessels, or 667,650 grt, up 19.1 percent from a year earlier, the JSEA said. The orders consisted of two freighters, 12 bulk carriers and two oil tankers. From April to December, orders totaled 216 vessels, or about 7.72 million grt, an increase of 41.5 percent from a year earlier, the association said.