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Displaying items by tag: Chinese uncertainty

#RoughRide - Uncertainty about China’s economic performance and slowing trade growth will make 2016 a difficult year for shipping executives, according to one leading analyst, although he highlighted India as one possible bright spot if the Modi administration can deliver another year of strong growth, while Europe and Japan are also “potential positive stories” this year.

Peter Sand, Bimco chief shipping analyst, said all eyes would be on China this year as its leaders struggled with slowing economic growth. “This is mainly because of uncertainty surrounding the development of the world’s second largest economy,” he said. “When the first day of the Shanghai Stock Exchange of 2016 closed prematurely, the trading results echoed around the world. It warned us that we are in for a rough ride in 2016.”

Sand said the slow-down in China was echoed in emerging economies across Asia, South America and Africa. “China has in recent years spurred growth in emerging and developing markets, and as economic growth slows down for China as the main engine, so it does for others who normally benefit,” he said.

To read more from LloydsLoadingList.com on what Bimco has to say on the global shipping scene, click here.

Published in Ports & Shipping

Shipyards

Afloat will be focusing on news and developments of shipyards with newbuilds taking shape on either slipways and building halls.

The common practice of shipbuilding using modular construction, requires several yards make specific block sections that are towed to a single designated yard and joined together to complete the ship before been launched or floated out.

In addition, outfitting quays is where internal work on electrical and passenger facilities is installed (or upgraded if the ship is already in service). This work may involve newbuilds towed to another specialist yard, before the newbuild is completed as a new ship or of the same class, designed from the shipyard 'in-house' or from a naval architect consultancy. Shipyards also carry out repair and maintenance, overhaul, refit, survey, and conversion, for example, the addition or removal of cabins within a superstructure. All this requires ships to enter graving /dry-docks or floating drydocks, to enable access to the entire vessel out of the water.

Asides from shipbuilding, marine engineering projects such as offshore installations take place and others have diversified in the construction of offshore renewable projects, from wind-turbines and related tower structures. When ships are decommissioned and need to be disposed of, some yards have recycling facilities to segregate materials, though other vessels are run ashore, i.e. 'beached' and broken up there on site. The scrapped metal can be sold and made into other items.