Beijing (TDI): China has maintained its position as the world’s top shipbuilding power through the first three quarters of 2025, leading globally in output, new orders, and order backlog, according to new data released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) on Friday.
Between January and September 2025, China’s shipbuilding output reached 38.53 million deadweight tons (DWT), a 6% year-on-year increase.
New orders stood at 66.60 million DWT, marking a 23.5% decline, while the order backlog climbed to 242.24 million DWT, up 25.3% compared to the same period last year.
China’s global market share, measured by DWT, accounted for 53.8% of completed output, 67.3% of new orders, and 65.2% of total orders in hand.
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When measured by compensated gross tonnage (CGT), a metric reflecting shipbuilding complexity, China held 47.3%, 63.5%, and 58.6%, respectively, maintaining its dominance in the global market.
According to the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry, during the ongoing 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025), China’s shipbuilding sector has not only expanded in scale but also in sophistication.
The country has delivered several high-end vessels, including 300,000-ton crude carriers, dual-fuel car carriers, and its first domestically built large cruise ship, the Adora Magic City.
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Construction of a second large cruise ship at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding has already reached 85% completion.
The sector’s financial performance has also strengthened. By June 2025, major shipbuilding firms reported a profit margin of 9.71%, the highest in history, reflecting improved efficiency and stronger global demand.
