Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958, 1951-04-19
Sweden
Shipbuilding

Sweden's shipbuilding industry
offers one of the most striking
examples of the countrys techni-
cal and industrial progress. Dur
ing the last three decades it has
developed into one of the country's
major industries, whose products
are known all over the world for
their high quality. Even quanti-
tatively the Swedish shipyards to-
day hold significant position in
the international scene.
At the end of the First World
War, the commercial tonnage
launched in Sweden amounted to
$4,000 gross tons annually, or less
than one per cent of the world
output. During the 1930s, Swe-
denis share in world production
rose to an average of Z per cent,
and since the Second World War
it has been about 10 per cent, or
even somewhat more. In 1889,
Swedish production of new ton
mage reached it's highest prewar
figure, about 100000 gross tons.
After the inevitable setback dur
ing the war production again ex-
banded considerably, reachin g
about 325,000 gross tons in 1919
and about $4,000 tons in 1850.
Sweden thus, at least temporarily,
moved into third place among the
shipbuilding nations, behind Great
Britain and the United States.
Although there has been some
falling-off in new orders, particul-
arly on the part of Norway. orders
on hand at the Swedish shipyards
are sufficient to keep them en-
ployed for about two years to
come. Early in 1851, 68 ships rep
resenting about 1926, 5000 gross tons
were under construction, while an
additional 103 vessels represent
ing approximately 100000 tons
were on the order books. Of total
orders on hand, nearly 40 per cent
were from Norwegian owners. 1t
was during the 193Os that Sweden
started exporting ships on a large
scale, and an average of about SO
per cent of its production was
sold abroad In 1919, no less than
nearly rs per cent of Swedish
shipping production was exported.
AS rule, Sweden exports a great
er part of its shipping output than
any other nation, and during the
last few years its share in total
world exports of ships has been
about 10 per cent. While Norway
is by far the most important for
eign buyer, ships are also export
ed to Denmark, France, Greece,
Holland, Portugal and South AM
erica, and recently the United
States has appeared as a custom
err
The expansion of the Swedish
shipbuilding industry has also en-
abled Sweden itself to rebuild and
modernize its merchant marine.
During the Second World War
Sweden lost 81 per cent of its ton
mage, but today its merchant
fleet is 33 per cent larger than
at the outbreak of war in 1889.
Il numbers about 1920 ships, ag-
gregating approximately 2,135,00O
gross tons.
Although the Swedish ship
yards are highly dependent upon
/ imports of steel plate and a GER
tain amount of ships fittings and
their labor costs are relatively
high. they obviously have been
able to hold their own in interna-
tional competition. With few if
any exec options, Swedish-built
ships today actually are cheap
er than those of any other coun-
try. Economies effected by mod
ernization and the application of
prefabricating and mass-produc-
ton techniques have made this
possible. Since the end of the
1905 the production capacity of
the Swedish shipbuilding industry
has been nearly doubled. while the
total of man-hours in the industry
has increased by only go per cent.