1. SUMMARY: VENEZUELA AND BRAZIL HAVE FINANCIAL MEANS TO AUGMENT
EXISTING SHIP CONSTRUCTION FACILITIES BUT BOTH LACK
TECHNICAL KNOWHOW AND EXPERTISE WHICH THEY PLAN TO IMPORT.
BRAZIL IS MORE ADVANCED IN SHIPBUILDING THAN VENEZUELA BUT
NEITHER COUNTRY HAS PLANS WITHIN NEXT FEW YEARS TO CONSTRUCT
SOPISTICATED CONTAINER OR RO/RO UNITS EXCEPT THAT BRAZIL
IS CONSIDERING CONSTRUCTION OF ONE OR MORE LASH VESSELS BY
1980. ARGENTINA SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY IS FURTHER ADVANCED
THAN THAT OF VENEZUELA BUT LESS SO THAN BRAZIL. NEITHER
CHILE NOR PERU APPEAR TO BE A THREAT TO WORL SHIPBUILDING
CENTERS IN UNITED STATES, JAPAN OR EUROPE INASMUCH AS BOTH
COUNTRIES ARE IN DESPERATE NEED OF FUNDS TO FINANCE WHAT LIMITED
SHIPBUILDING PLANS THEY HAVE. COLOMBIA SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY
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IS PERHAPS LEAST ADVANCED OF ANY OF ABOVE MENTIONED NATIONS.
FOR MOST PART, THEREFORE, MARITIME NATIONS OF SOUTH AMERICA
LACK EITHER SUFFICIENT TECHNOLOGY OR FINANCING, OR BOTH,
TO LAUNCH SHIP CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS SUBSTANTIALLY MORE
ADVANCED THAN THEY CURRENTLY HAVE, BUT PLANS INCLUDE FINANCIAL
AND TECHNOLOGICAL ASSISTANCE.
2. ARGENTINA PLANS TO EXPAND MERCHANT MARINE BY CONSTRUCTION
OF MORE THAN 500,000 DWT OF TANKERS, FEIGHTERS AND SMALL
CRAFT, INCLUDING FISHING VESSELS, WITHIN NEXT FEW YEARS. NONE
OF VESSELS WILL BE OF SOPHISTICATED CONTAINER OR RO/RO UNITS
SUCH AS UNITED STATES, JAPAN AND EUROPE HAVE PLAN TO DEVELOP
FURTHER. ARGENTINA IS PURCHASING FISHING VESSELS FROM FOREIGN
SOURCES AS A NECESSARY STOPGAP UNTIL SUCH TIME AS ITS OWN
SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY CAN ACCOMMODATE ITS NEEDS.
3. BRAZIL PLANS CONSTRUCTION WITHIN NEXT FEW YEARS OF 765
VESSELS OF APPROXIMATELY FIVE MILLION TOTAL TONS AND COSTING
NEARLY THREE BILLION DOLLARS. VARIOUS TYPES OF VESSELS ARE
CONTEMPLATED IN PROJECTION INCLUDING FOUR VLCC'S AGGREGATING
A TOTAL OF MORE THAN ONE MILLION TONS. BRAZIL LACKS SUFFICIENT
LOCAL TECHNOLOGY BUT HAS FINANCES. LASH BARGES HAVE ALREADY
BEEN BUILT IN BRAZIL, WHICH IS SERIOUSLY STUDING FEASIBILITY
OF CONSTRUCTING LASH VESSELS. INDICATIONS ARE THAT CARGO VESSELS
PLANNED WILL BE OF CONVENTIONAL TYPES WITH SOME CONTAINER
CARRING CAPABILITIES BUT NOT FULLY AUTOMATED CONTAINER OR
RO/RO UNITS. NATION ALSO PLANS TO CONSTRUCT VESSELS FOR WEST
GERMANY AND GREECE.
4. CHILE HAS LONG RANGE PLANS FOR SHIP CONSTRUCTION AND MERCHANT
MARINE EXPANSION BUT, BECAUSE OF LACK OF FINANCING, IS LIMITED
IN WHAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED ALTHOUGH IT HAS ADEQUATE TECHNOLOGY
TO BUILD ITS OWN FLEET. AS A RESULT, NO MAJOR IMMEDIATE OR NEAR
FUTURE VESSEL CONSTRUCTION LIKELY TO TAKE PLACE UNLESS AND
UNTIL FUNDS ARE MADE AVAILABLE FOR THAT PURPOSE. IF AND WHEN
SHIPS ARE BUILD IN CHILE, THEY WILL NOT BE FULL CONTAINER OR
RO/RO TYPES BUT RATHER CONVENTIONAL CARGO SHIPS, TANKERS
AND DRY BULK CARRIERS.
5. COLOMBIA APPEARS TO HAVE NO IMMEDIATE PLANS TO ESTABLISH A
SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY. EXPANSION OF HER FLEETS WILL DEPEND
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UPON ORDERS FROM FOREIGN YARDS, WHICH WILL CONSIST OF CON-
VENTIONAL GENERAL CARGO
VESSELS HAVING FACILITIES FOR SMALL
NUMBERS OF CONTAINERS, EXCEPT THAT REPORT TODAY FROM BOGOTA
INDICATES NATIONAL FLAG LINE WILL ACQUIRE FROM JAPAN 6 RO/RO
SHIPS TO SERVE CARIBBEAN PORTS.
6. PERU HAS FACILITIES FOR CONSTRUCTION OF DRY BULK AND GENERAL
CARGO VESSELS UP TO 27,000 DWT, FOUR OF WHICH HAVE ALREADY
BEEN CONSTRUCTED IN PERUVIAN YARDS AND ARE CURRENTLY OPERATING
IN NATIONAL FLAG MERCHANT FLEET. BUT NATION HAS NO PLANS TO
BUILD CONTAINERIZED OR RO/RO UNITS.
7. VENEZUELA FOR NEXT FEW YEARS WILL CONCENTRATE ON ACQUISITION
AND CONSSTRUCTION OF MEDIUM SIZED TANKERS AND CONVENTIONAL
GENERAL CARGO VESSELS HAVING SOME SPACE FOR CONTAINERS.
NO FULLY AUTOMATED CONTAINER VESSELS ARE PRESENTLY PERMITTED
TO OPERATE IN VENEZUELAN PORTS AND THERE ARE NO INDICATIONS
AT THIS TIME THAT UNION-INSTIGATED PROHIBITION WILL BE WAIVED.
CONVENTIONAL FREIGHTERS ARE PERMITTED TO LOAD AND DISCHARGE
SMALL NUMBERS OF CONTAINERS, GENERALLY LIMITED TO NO MORE THAN
THIRTY PER VESSEL.
8. REGRET PRELIMINARY DESIGN PLANS UNAVAILABLE AND IN MANY
INSTANCES THEY HAVE YET TO BE PREPARED.
SHLAUDEMAN
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