In the January-March period this year, the aggregate shipbuilding output in China amounted to 15.68 million dead weight tons (dwt), up 46.0 percent year on year, according to the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry (CANSI). In the given period, China’s new ship orders reached 59.53 million dwt, increasing by 195.2 percent year on year. Meanwhile, as of the end of March this year, ship orders on the books of Chinese shipbuilding enterprises totaled 322.3 million dwt, up 43.6 percent year on year.
In the first three months this year, export vessels accounted for 96.1 percent of the aggregate shipbuilding output in China, with export value reaching $14.92 billion, signaling the growth was primarily driven by the delivery of international orders.
Although the share of shipbuilding in total steel consumption in China is only around two percent, this sector has posted steady growth in past years, improving China’s position in the global arena. In 2025, the estimated steel consumption of China’s shipbuilding industry was 18 million mt, up by 2.0-2.5 million or 12-16 percent from 2024.
