SHI Backlog: 110 Vessels

Someone forgot to inform South Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) the world economy is in turmoil. SHI, one of the world's largest shipbuilders, reportedly won a $1.1 billion in orders from Canada and Europe. The deals bring the shipbuilder's backlog to 8.2 million gt, representing 110 vesssels, a workload that should keep the yard busy for about 2.5 years. The new contracts represent 13 containerships and seven tankers, with ships for Seaspan Container Lines Ltd of Canada and Reederei Claus-Peter Offen GmbH & Co of Germany. Meanwhile, the news from North America was not so bright, as defense company Northrop Grumman announced that it had significantly lowered its earnings outlook, as the company ups its interest payments in an attempt to pare its debt faster. Northrop has been one of the more proactive acquisition companies in the urge to merge the U.S. defense industry, tripling its size from just three years ago with acquisitions such as Litton Industries Inc. and Newport News Shipbuilding Inc.