According to the data released by the Japan Ship Exporters' Association (JSEA), Japanese new ship export orders in March this year increased strongly on tonnage basis to 49 ships totaling 2.7 million gross tons, compared to the five ships totaling 167,470 gross tons recorded in the previous month. Japan's new ship export orders, consisting of 46 bulk carriers, rose in March following four consecutive months of month-on-month decrease. In March 2012, Japan's new ship export orders had totaled 21 ships amounting to 1.1 million gross tons.
At the end of the first quarter of the current year, Japanese shipbuilders' order books for export totaled 64 ships, with a total of 3.4 million gross tons, rising by 57.5 percent on tonnage basis as compared to the same period last year.
Meanwhile, in March of the current year Japan delivered 34 ships totaling 1.4 million gross tons for export, increasing from 22 ships totaling 1.1 million gross tons recorded in February this year. In January-March this year, Japan delivered 97 ships for export, totaling 4.4 million gross tons, down 3.8 percent on tonnage basis compared to the first quarter of 2012.