News Brief:

Shipbuilding News:

* Sinopacific stops ship design business  

* Shanghai-listed CSIC to transfer ownership of two engine units to parent firm

* DSME to hold stockholder meeting

* Bahri buys secondhand VLCC

* Japanese yards set new NB strategy

Shipping News:

* COSCO set to reshape shipping alliances

* Tankers: Higher tonnage availability in hurting rates

Steel News:

* Iron ore back below $50, but still eyes weekly gain

Energy News:

* Oil prices rise, signs mount that market is bottoming out

Biz China:

* Mortgage lending gets more flexible

* Baltic Dry Index

BDI      327          ()

+2

()

BCI      177           -5

)

        (BPI      352 +6

BSI      333          ()

+5

BHSI    212          ()

+3

* TC Avg ($/day)

BCI  5T/C     2,396          ()

-61

()

BPI  4T/C     2,823         +45

BSI  6T/C     3,481         ()

+49

* Exchange Rate

USD / KRW   1,235.4

USD / RMB    6.5452

* Crude Future ($/barrel)

WTI       32.74

Brent     35.43