According to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the nation maintained its dominant position in global shipbuilding across key performance metrics during the first nine months of 2025. Completed shipbuilding output reached 38.53 million DWT, marking a 6 percent year-on-year increase. New orders totalled 66.60 million DWT, while the backlog climbed to 242.24 million DWT — a rise of 25.3 percent compared to the previous year.
China’s share of the global market remained strong, representing approximately 53.8 percent of completed output, 67.3 percent of new orders, and 65.2 percent of the total backlog measured by deadweight tonnage. When calculated in compensated gross tonnage, the shares stood at 47.3 percent, 63.5 percent, and 58.6 percent respectively.
This leadership reflects the depth of China’s maritime economy and industrial ecosystem. With eight of the world’s top ten ports and a vast manufacturing base, the country continues to generate consistent demand for new-build vessels. Continuous investment in research, development, and technical training further strengthens the competitiveness of Chinese shipyards across multiple vessel categories.
Recent deliveries underscore this technological advancement, including high-capacity very large crude carriers, dual-fuel car carriers, and the nation’s first domestically built large cruise ship. These developments signal China’s progress in building complex, high-value vessels designed to meet evolving environmental and operational standards.
The sustained momentum highlights China’s integrated industrial capacity and its ongoing role in shaping the future direction of global shipbuilding, particularly in areas of digitalisation, clean energy adoption, and supply-chain modernisation.
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Source: Global Times
