One of the world’s top shipbuilders is bracing for flat new order growth in the industry in 2019, as rising uncertainty stemming from the US-China trade war has caused major customers to hold back orders.
The trade dispute, coupled with a new suite of environmental regulations facing shipping companies, had damped shipowners’ investment appetite in the first six months of the year and threatened to slow the recovery of an industry that has struggled for years with overcapacity, Ka Sam-hyun, chief executive of Hyundai Heavy Industries told the Financial Times in Seoul.
“The first half of this year was a really difficult period in terms of new order levels,” Mr Ka said. “Most shipowners are hesitating to make a decision.”