Shipbuilders get export orders of million dollars

Bangladeshi shipbuilders, who took part in the world's biggest shipbuilding fair in Germany last week, got export orders worth million dollars as foreign buyers showed keen interest in their oceangoing vessels Four local shipbuilders-Ananda Shipyard and Slipways Ltd (ASSL), Dhaka Dockyard and Engineering Works, Khan Brothers Shipbuilding Ltd and Karnaphuli Shipyard Ltd-took part in the fair at Hamburg.
Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) of Bangladesh also had a stall in the Shipbuilding, Machinery and Marine Technology (SMM-2010) Trade Fair.
Chief Executive Officer of Dhaka Dockyard and Engineering Works Gazi G Rabbani told BSS that his company fetched orders of two bulk carriers at 40 million US dollar and two goat carriers worth US$ 15 million for export to the Middle Eastern countries.
Authorities in the ASSL said four foreign companies have shown keen interest in building vessels of 6100 deadweight tonnage (DWT), 5500dwt, 2900dwt and expressed the hope that it would be mature shortly.
The four-day 24th biennial SMM fair brought thousands of decision makers and qualified buyers under one roof at the trade fair in Hamburg, the port city of Germany and major trading hub for central Europe.
"The deal to build four yacht aluminum, each 50 meter, is almost finalized," said Naval architect Tariqul Islam, executive director of ASSL, a leading shipbuilder. Islam described the SMM trade fair as solely a meeting place with the world's leading suppliers and said inquires the ASSL got will be turned into business transitions worth millions.
Taking part in the world class exhibition always remains rewarding for a country like Bangladesh, he said citing an example that Bangladesh first participated in the SMM fair in 2006 and later it got export orders valued at US$200m.
"We had four contracts with German and the Netherlands companies who have some small projects and they will come to Bangladesh soon to carry forward the contracts," said M Enamul Kabir Khan, chairman of Khan Brothers Shipbuilding Ltd.
Eng MA Rashid, managing director of Karnaphuli Shipyard Ltd, said his company received a good number of queries on dredgers and container ships from the world's top shipbuilders and suppliers but they could not reach the final decision yet.
Tofayel Kabir Khan, managing director of Khan Brothers Shipbuilding, a new shipbuilding entrepreneur who is setting up a new Dry-dock on sixty acres of land at Taka 700 million, said they would comply with the queries his company received on the spot from time to time.
A total of 2,000 exhibitors from 60-plus countries have displayed record state-of-the-art technologies and products for shipyards, marine equipment suppliers and marine technology specialists. More than 50,000 trade visitors visited the fair.
Experts say the participation in the SMM-2010 trade fair would help Bangladesh get huge export orders as it provided the developing country with an unprecedented opportunity not only to display the unique aspects of the recent developments but also shed light on its progress to the global maritime community.
The SMM Fair focused on a wide array of industry sectors including shipyards, marine equipment, propulsion systems, ship operation plants, ship electrical and electronics systems, marine technology, maritime services and the special super yacht segment.