China's shipbuilding industry sees a rapid rebound in new orders

China’s shipbuilding industry has seen new orders rebound quickly. In 2025, due to the Trump administration in the United States introducing regulatory measures targeting Chinese vessels, the industry once struggled, but after the measure was announced to be postponed, the order volume rose again by the end of 2025. In high-value ship sectors such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier vessels, China’s influence in shipbuilding continues to grow, demonstrating strong competitiveness and the ability to secure the largest global market share.

In Dalian, a northeastern port city in China, in mid-March, looking from near the production base of China Shipbuilding Group (CSSC), the world’s largest shipbuilding group, there are multiple tankers under construction, and you can see large crane operations.

China’s shipbuilding industry has experienced ups and downs in recent years. As of 2024, demand for vessels and other products meeting new environmental regulations continued to grow, but in 2025 the situation took a sharp turn for the worse. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced that when vessels built in China call at U.S. ports, a port call fee would be charged. The measure was originally scheduled to take effect in the autumn of 2025.

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