South Korea Shipyards Fear Hull Blocks Shortage

Shipyards in South Korea are worried about a shortage of hull blocks as demand from Japan grows and local block manufacturers convert to shipyards, Korea Times reported. Two block suppliers for Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering and Samsung Heavy Industries converted to building ships last year. To cope with declining supplies, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering is now building a block factory in China's northeastern port city of Yantai to begin production early next year. Samsung Heavy Industries has been running a block factory, Samsung Heavy Industries Ningbo, in China since 1997. It is searching for a site to build another in the Chinese northeastern province of Shandong. (Source: Korea Times)