Exploiting strengths for steady growth

摘要

Japan's shipbuilders are suffering in common with their Asian rivals, having to deal as they are with a weaker dollar and soaring costs for ever-scarcer steel to complete building contracts fixed at low prices two to three years ago. Yards are concentrating on maximising speed of production so as to complete lower-priced contracts as quickly as possible, while trying to collect and recycle every scrap of steel left over from plate cutting. Under such testing circumstances, management teams are largely shying away from taking risks with product diversification and are choosing to stick with building the ship types they know and have the best ability to price for forward deliveries.