OECD tackles capacity

The OECD has agreed a common basis for calculating shipbuilding capacity with shipbuilding associations from the EU, Japan and Korea. Shipbuilding associations in OECD countries will now send questionnaires to yards requesting information on dock sizes, crane capacity and throughput — both current and that planned in four to five years.

Non OECD countries can participate in the survey while the capacity for non-participating countries will be calculated from published data. The OECD will collate all the information by December to produce the first commonly agreed figure for world shipbuilding capacity.

OECD notes that prices for certain vessels have fallen by almost 25 per cent over the past 18 months. It says this has led to a rush of newbuilding orders but that now the industry is facing a fall in orders which it expects to last for some years.