Japan's major shipyards escaped the full impact of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that struck the northeastern coast of the country with full force.
An official at the Japan Ship Exporters' Association said the devastating natural disaster "will have no impact on future export ship orders at all."
Although several small shipyards in the quake-hit areas were affected, major Japanese shipyards that build large vessels for exports are concentrated in western Japan and remain intact, the official said.
Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding sustained “slight material damages” in the company’s Kasai Center and Chiba Works but did not consider such slight damages would cause serious impact on operations.
“The rotational schedule of interruption of power supply due to the earthquake may affect our operation at our works and subsidiaries. However, the degree of the impact is not known now,” the company said in a statement.
Japanese export ship orders rose for the 15th consecutive month in February on a year-on-year basis, increasing 35.4 percent to 519,670 gross tons, according to figures released this week by JSEA.
The year-on-year pace of growth slowed for the first time in three months and was significantly slower than 218.5 percent in January, which was in comparison with a very slow month a year earlier, still affected by the global recession.
In February, Japanese shipbuilders received orders for 12 export ships -- all bulk carriers. The 12 ships total 221,496 compensated gross tons.
In the first 11 months of fiscal 2010, which started in April 2010, Japanese export ship orders totaled 11,392,260 gross tons, up 110.5 percent from the same period of the previous fiscal year.
Japanese shipbuilders received orders for 277 export vessels -- 259 bulk carriers, 10 oil tankers and eight general cargo vessels -- in the April-February period. The 277 ships total 5,078,510 compensated gross tons.
An official at the Japan Ship Exporters' Association said the devastating natural disaster "will have no impact on future export ship orders at all."
Although several small shipyards in the quake-hit areas were affected, major Japanese shipyards that build large vessels for exports are concentrated in western Japan and remain intact, the official said.
Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding sustained “slight material damages” in the company’s Kasai Center and Chiba Works but did not consider such slight damages would cause serious impact on operations.
“The rotational schedule of interruption of power supply due to the earthquake may affect our operation at our works and subsidiaries. However, the degree of the impact is not known now,” the company said in a statement.
Japanese export ship orders rose for the 15th consecutive month in February on a year-on-year basis, increasing 35.4 percent to 519,670 gross tons, according to figures released this week by JSEA.
The year-on-year pace of growth slowed for the first time in three months and was significantly slower than 218.5 percent in January, which was in comparison with a very slow month a year earlier, still affected by the global recession.
In February, Japanese shipbuilders received orders for 12 export ships -- all bulk carriers. The 12 ships total 221,496 compensated gross tons.
In the first 11 months of fiscal 2010, which started in April 2010, Japanese export ship orders totaled 11,392,260 gross tons, up 110.5 percent from the same period of the previous fiscal year.
Japanese shipbuilders received orders for 277 export vessels -- 259 bulk carriers, 10 oil tankers and eight general cargo vessels -- in the April-February period. The 277 ships total 5,078,510 compensated gross tons.