Japan’s export ship orders declined by 64pc to 5 in April from to 14 ship orders during the same month last year, according to Japan’s Ship Exporter’s Association (JSEA).
The ship orders’ total weight declined by 70pc to 221,550gt (248,136mt) last month against 750,090gt in April 2019. The number of ships also declined by 64pc.
Through the first four months of 2020, new export orders reported by JSEA totaled 2.3mn gt, declining by 35pc from 3.5mn gt during the same four-month period last year. Between January and April, the number of vessels declined by 25pc to 52 ships from 69 during same period last year.
Japan delivered 26 export ships in April 2020, which together weighed of 1.2mn gt, from 24 a month earlier, which weighted 1.1mn gt. The country delivered 113 ships for a total weight of 5.3mn gt in the first four months of 2020, rising by 15pc from 4.6mn gt between January and April 2019 when 90 vessels were reported.
The April order—for which payments were me in cash—was composed of one general cargo, one handysize bulk, one panamax bulk, one capsize bulk, and one chip carrier.
AT the end of April 2019, Japan has 42 vessels for delivery in FY2021 another 2 for FY2022, and none for FY2023 delivery. At the end of April 2020, Japan had 140 vessels purchased for delivery in FY2021, 18 delivery the following year, FY2022, and 1 vessel for delivery in FY2023 with none planned for FY2024.