Local News

The Kyushu District Transport Bureau reports that the 56 shipyards in Kyushu and western Yamaguchi Prefecture suffered a plunge in orders in FY 2009 to 75,000 tons, or 27 ships. That’s a 97.8% drop from the previous year, and the worst since statistics have been kept starting in 1980. The bureau says a sharp drop in ship prices has made the shipyards hesitant to accept new orders.