News Brief:

Shipbuilding News:

* China to lay off state workers

* HHIC union rejects creditors' offer

* DSME to report 2015 results

* Japan uses big data for boxship

Shipping News:

* Korea-Iran tie in shipping

* Dry bulk market finds support on smaller ships say brokers; Product Tanker Market is bottoming out

Steel News:

* Dalian iron ore hits near 6-month high as spot back above $50/T

Energy News:

* Oil prices gain despite jump in US inventories

Biz China:

* Growth must be at least 6.5%, economists say

* Baltic Dry Index

BDI      335         ()

+3

()

BCI      171          -3

)

       (BPI      364 +7

BSI      350         ()

+5

BHSI    220         ()

+3

* TC Avg ($/day)

BCI  5T/C     2,291          ()

-36

()

BPI  4T/C     2,920         +51

BSI  6T/C     3,661         ()

+56

* Exchange Rate

USD / KRW   1,232.7

USD / RMB    6.5412

* Crude Future ($/barrel)

WTI       34.78

Brent     37.05