*********** 073193B.ENG *********** Country: Korea, Japan From: Japan Times 29 July 1993 p. 12 KEYWORDS: Korea, Japan, Market share, Tonnage, Shipbuilding SOUTH KOREA SHIPBUILDERS TOP JAPAN South Korea topped Japan in orders for export ships received for the first half of 1993 and is likely to become the world's top shipbuilder for the first time this year, Japanese industry statistics showed Wednesday. The data showed shipbuilding orders received by Japanese yards during the January-June period this year totaled 80 ships aggregating 2.65 million gross tons, down 27 percent from the same period last year. Orders placed with South Korean shipbuilders during the same period hit a record of 101 vessels totaling 5.07 million tons, the statistics showed. Industry officials attributed a decline in Japan's ship orders to the steep appreciation of the yen in contrast to a fall in the value of the South Korean won. The Transport Ministry said orders received by Japanese shipbuilders comprised 64 freighters, 13 oil tankers and three others. The industry officials said Abu Dhabi switched its order for four large liquefied natural gas carriers from Japan to Finland in April, apparently because of high construction costs caused by the strong yen, They said South Korean shipbuilders mounted a sales drive by taking advantage of the weak won, which has declined 2 percent to 4 percent against the dollar since the beginning of this year. Statistics on global market share for the first half of 1993 have yet to be compiled, but the officials said South Korea held a 25.8 percent share for the first quarter, compared with the 20.4 percent for Japan. ************** END Msg. B.ENG **************