According to the data released by the Japan Ship Exporters' Association (JSEA), Japanese new ship export orders in May this year decreased to 29 ships totaling 953,900 gross tons, compared to the 35 ships totaling 1.26 million gross tons recorded in the previous month. Japan's new ship export orders, consisting of 26 bulk carriers, recorded a very strong year-on-year increase in May compared to the total of six ships amounting to 305,370 gross tons recorded in May 2012.
At the end of the first five months of the current year, Japanese shipbuilders' order books for export totaled 128 ships, with a total of 5.6 million gross tons, rising by 88.4 percent on tonnage basis as compared to the same period last year.
Meanwhile, in May of the current year Japan delivered 21 ships totaling 857,306 gross tons for export, increasing from 18 ships totaling 858,215 gross tons recorded in April this year. In January-May this year, Japan delivered 136 ships for export, totaling 6.15 million gross tons, down 20 percent on tonnage basis compared to the first five months of 2012.