WORLD'S SHIPBUILDING

Southland Times, Issue 19457, 22 January 1925, Page 5

WORLD'S SHIPBUILDING

LAST YEAR’S FIGURES. COMPARATIVE STATEMENT. (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, January 20. Lloyd’s Register, containing the annual summary of the shipbuilding industry, shows that 924 mercantile vessels were launched in the world during 1924, of a total tonnage of 2,247,000, of which Great Britain and Ireland built 1,439,000 tons, Germany 193,000 tons, the United States 139,000 tons, Japan 72,000 tons, and Holland 63,000 tons. The net increase compared with 1923 was about 605,000 tons. This is entirely due to the increase of 794,000 tons in Britain and Ireland, setting off the decrease of 179,000 tons abroad, including 164,000 tons in Germany. The tonnage decreased by nearly 4,900,000 compared with the record year of 1919, when 7,145,000 were launched. The output of Britain and Ireland included 211,000 tons for owners residing abroad. TTie tonnage which was being constructed in the world on December 31 was 2,470,000 net, an increase of 26,000 tons compared with the twelve months before. A decrease of 98,000 in Britain and Ireland was set off by an increase of 124,000 tons abroad. The world’s gross tonnage in June, 1924, amounted to 57,530,000, compared with 42,514,000 in June, 1918. The former includes 17,154,000 oil-fuel steamers. Six million tons of shipping were laid up in the world in July, 1924, over two-thirds being in the United States. The United Kingdom figures, which were then 700,000 tons, are now reduced to 570,000.