China’s shipbuilding industry continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience and competitiveness despite mounting pressure from the Trump administration’s efforts to counter Chinese maritime dominance and revitalize America’s domestic shipbuilding sector.
According to the latest data from the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry, China maintained its global leadership position from January to April this year. The country achieved completion volumes of 15.32 million deadweight tons, new orders of 30.69 million deadweight tons, and outstanding orders of 229.78 million deadweight tons, representing global market shares of 49.9%, 67.6%, and 64.3% respectively.
The robust demand has led to unprecedented order backlogs. Companies like Dalian COSCO KAWASAKI Ship Engineering report their shipyards are fully booked until the first half of 2029. Similarly, Hengli Shipbuilding (Dalian) holds approximately 170 ship orders, primarily from European clients, with schedules extending to 2029 and two new shipyards set to commence operations by the end of June.
Industry analysts attribute this sustained growth to several factors, including the aging global fleet and accelerated vessel replacement driven by environmental regulations from the European Union and the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Guangfa Securities analyst Wang Jiahao suggests that while the US Section 301 investigation may create short-term market volatility, it will not significantly impact China’s long-term shipbuilding competitiveness.
The US has responded with targeted measures, including plans to impose higher port fees on Chinese-owned and operated vessels while offering reduced rates for ships built in China but operated by non-Chinese companies. President Trump has also signed executive orders directing national security advisor Mike Waltz to develop strategies for revitalizing America’s domestic shipbuilding industry and maritime employment.
China’s shipbuilding transformation has been remarkably rapid. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, China’s share of global commercial shipbuilding grew from less than 5% in 2000 to over 50% by 2024, while the US share remains below 0.1%. The China Shipbuilding Group now produces more commercial vessel tonnage annually than the entire US shipbuilding industry has built since World War II.
Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), June 3, 2025
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202506030052.aspx