BUILDING OF SHIPS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 14, 16 July 1937, Page 9

BUILDING OF SHIPS

BRITISH YARDS

FURTHER SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE

(British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, July 14. Another substantial increase in mercantile tonnage under construction in United Kingdom shipyards is shown in the return for the quarter ended June 30 issued by Lloyd's Register. The present total of 1,199,973 tons is an increase of 185,519 on that of the preceding quarter. It exceeds by over 40 per cent, the figures recorded twelve months ago and is the highest quarterly total returned in the last seven years. Britain is building more tonnage than the aggregate now under construction in Germany, Japan, the United States, and Holland, which are four leading countries abroad. During the last three months British yards began work on 367,698 tons of new merchant vessels, an increase of 114,205 tons compared with the previous quarter.

The total tonnage now under construction in other countries is 1,682,887 tons, and is about 245,000 tons above the March figure. The leading countries are: Germany 416,881 tons, Japan 318.277 tons, the United States 198,652 tons, Holland 188,464 tons, Sweden 138,720 tons.

Of the world total of 2,882,860 tons now under construction British yards are building 41.6 per cent. About 100,000 tons, equal to 8.3 per cent. o£ the tonnage now building in British yards, is intended for registration abroad or for sale.