China’s shipyards still lead the world, but US threats took a toll in 2025

China retained its position as the world’s top shipbuilder in 2025, but its market share declined for the first time in five years as US threats to impose port fees on Chinese-linked vessels sparked market turbulence.

Chinese shipyards secured 35.4 million compensated gross tonnage (CGT) of new vessel orders last year, down 35 per cent compared with 2024, the Chinese maritime news outlet eworldship.com reported on Thursday, citing data from shipping consultancy Clarksons.

China’s shipbuilders also saw their global market share fall from 70 per cent in 2024 to 63 per cent last year – the first such drop recorded in half a decade, the report said.

South Korea, the world’s second-largest shipbuilder, gained ground as its market share rose from 17 per cent in 2024 to 21 per cent last year, with its new vessel orders growing 8 per cent year on year to reach 11.6 million CGT.

But the industry’s third-biggest player, Japan, saw new vessel orders plummet by nearly 53 per cent year on year to 2.8 million CGT in 2025, giving it a global market share of about 5 per cent.