Japanese export ship orders grew for the second straight month in November on a year-over-year basis, rising 47.4 percent to 773,790 gross tons, according to the Japan Ship Exporters’ Association.

    The year-over-year pace of growth quickened from 26.5 percent in October although the November gross tonnage declined 9.5 percent from the month before.

    Japanese shipbuilders received orders for 17 export ships — 11 bulk carriers, three automobile carriers, two passenger ships and one tanker — in November.

    The 17 ships total 530,280 compensated gross tons.

    In the first nine months of 2011, Japanese export ship orders totalled 7.7 million gross tons, down 21.7 percent from the same period last year.

source:asiasis