MARITIME INDUSTRY IN GLOBAL AND GERMAN MARKET

During the SMM 2018 exhibition, it was possible for us to receive information about the shipbuilding sector thanks to the support of ITA. These data are interesting for R.M.G. Raffineria Metalli Guizzi if we consider the importance of the maritime industry as application field of our products.

The shipbuilding branch is growing increasingly thanks to the demand increment for oil tankers and cruise ships: by the end of 2017, the registered volume of new orders reached 22 billion dollars, representing in this way the 35% of global new orders.
This increase allowed to European shipyards to face with an increment of requests, differing in this way from Asiatic shipyards and getting the first place in this branch. This maritime section is first represented by Italy with 3.250 CGT (Compensated Gross Tonnage), followed by Germany with 1.707 CGT.

Anyway, in 2017 China was the leader of shipbuilding sector with an order volume of 6.524 CGT in the production of bulk carriers, container ships, chemical tankers, Ro-Ro ships and offshore vessels, followed by South Korea with 6.478 CGT in the production of oil and gas tankers and by Japan with 1.361 CGT.

As concerns shipyards in Germany, they are most of all located in areas near the North and the Baltic Sea. Furthermore, the export-oriented trend of the German market is visible also in this field: almost the 70% of built ships was delivered in foreign countries. This trend places Germany at the fifth place between the main producing countries, preceded by Italy, China, South Korea and Japan.
Moreover, the importance of the biggest German shipbuilding groups is becoming stronger after 2008 crisis.

The German maritime industry includes the following branches:

• Inland waterway vessels Shipbuilding:

These shipyards are most of all constituted by small companies.
Also in this branch, export is extremely important: the 69.3% of total deliveries are directed to foreign countries and the 81% of new orders are required by foreign markets.

• Restoration e refit: 

The turnover of this branch registered in 2017 an increase of 9% if compared to 2016.
The main competitors are located in Poland, Denmark, in the Netherlands, Spain and Turkey.
Furthermore, it will be possible for these industries to enlarge their order book thanks to the new norms for the environment protection, which are already increasing the request for ship maintenance.

• Sub-supply shipbuilding industry: 

In this field, Germany is the leader in production and export.
However, the situation of this branch is irregular:
Cruise shipyards sub-suppliers are taking advantage of increasing orders number; meanwhile, the difficulties of the customer countries such as China and South Korea are affecting both shipyards for the production of cargo ships and their sub-suppliers.
Export rate is very high also in this case: it represents the 75% of branch turnover. 
Furthermore, correct competition principles have an extreme importance for this production field. Unfortunately, this market condition is more and more disappearing due to internal strengthening politics of sub-supply industries in shipbuilding leader countries (Asian countries).

• Ocean Technologies:

This branch deals with sea safeguard and exploitation and is constantly increasing in German market. In fact, the requests for special vessels is becoming higher and higher.
In particular, projects for the realization of wind farms near the North and Baltic Sea shores represent today the core-segment of this branch.

The market trend shows a recover of the maritime industry both in German and in the global market if compared to the crisis of 2016. Furthermore, market trend to internationalization is becoming higher thanks to the increase of goods export and import activities, also in the naval branch.