China navigates US threats to anchor global shipbuilding dominance in 2025
Despite a market share dip, Chinese yards extend their commanding lead in key indicators, as high exports and lengthy backlogs signal resilience despite rivals’ gains
China secured the most new shipbuilding orders globally in 2025 despite a slight dip in market share, showing enduring market dominance amid industry turbulence sparked by US threats targeting the Chinese maritime sector, official data showed.
Chinese shipyards secured 107.8 million deadweight tonnage (DWT) in new orders in 2025 – a 4.6 per cent year-on-year decline – accounting for 69 per cent of the global market, down from a 74.1 per cent share in 2024, according to data released on Sunday by the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry (Cansi).
“After decades of development, China has emerged as the global leader in shipbuilding, establishing a significant lead over its competitors,” Li Yanqing, secretary general of Cansi, told the South China Morning Post late last month. “Minor fluctuations of a few percentage points in market share are entirely normal; at this stage, it is no longer necessary for China to fixate on these marginal shifts.”
In 2025, China’s major shipbuilders further strengthened their global competitiveness by securing the top spot in new orders for 16 out of 18 major vessel types, state broadcaster CCTV said on Sunday.
South Korea saw its share of new orders rise from 15.5 per cent in 2024 to 21.6 per cent in 2025, while Japan’s share slipped from 7.1 per cent to 6.2 per cent over the same period, the data showed.
China has maintained its global lead in three major shipbuilding indicators – vessel completions, new orders and outstanding orders – for 16 consecutive years, according to a statement from Cansi on Sunday.