News Brief:

Shipbuilding News:

* Wuzhou Shipyard becomes first state-run shipyard to go bust

* Bank of China applies to liquidate Sainty Marine

* HHI resumes yard operation

* HHI sells stocks worth $130m

* [Year-end report] Korean main yards won total $33.5bn

* "Yards to see rebound from 2H 2016"

Shipping News:

* China Merchants and Sinotrans & CSC merger to take more than three years

* S. Korea to create US$1.2 bln fund for shipping industry

Steel News:

* Iron ore futures surge as rebar rally, physical buying supports

Energy News:

* Oil prices decline amid rising inventories

Biz China:

* China external debt at $1.53t by September

* Baltic Dry Index

BDI      478          (0)

(0)

BCI      470          

(0)

        BPI      462

BSI      450          (0)

BHSI    270          (0)

* TC Avg ($/day)

BCI  5T/C     4,965         (0)

(0)

BPI  4T/C     3,692        

BSI  6T/C     4,703         (0)

* Exchange Rate

USD / KRW   1,172.0

USD / RMB    6.4936

* Crude Future ($/barrel)

WTI       36.80

Brent     36.57

* Buker  (Singapore, $/ton)

 IF380      IFO180     MDO     MGO

177.00      187.00     327.50   337.50