China’s shipbuilding industry has recorded a strong start to 2026, posting historic first-quarter growth driven by rising global demand and a rapid transition toward green maritime technologies, according to data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
Shipbuilding output reached 15.68 million deadweight tonnes (DWT), marking a 46% year-on-year increase and capturing 57.3% of the global market share. New orders surged dramatically by 195.2% to 59.53 million DWT, accounting for a dominant 84.9% of global orders, while total backlog orders rose 43.6% to 322.3 million DWT, or 69.8% of the world total.
China also led global new orders in 15 of 18 major vessel categories, including very large crude carriers (VLCCs), large car carriers, and container ships above 10,000 TEUs, where its share exceeded 90%.
A major highlight of the quarter was the acceleration of green shipbuilding technologies, including methanol, LNG, and electric-powered vessels. These included advanced ships such as a 15,000-TEU methanol dual-fuel container ship, an LNG carrier meeting strict emissions standard, and China’s first single-methanol bulk carrier, which reduces CO₂ emissions by up to 90%.
Green ship orders alone accounted for 80.2% of China’s international market share, reflecting a strong global shift toward low-carbon shipping solutions.
Industry officials attributed the rapid expansion not only to demand but also to improved efficiency through industrial clustering, where integrated supply chains and regional shipbuilding hubs have significantly reduced construction time and costs.
In regions such as Qidong in Jiangsu Province, shipbuilding clusters have produced more than 70 first-of-their-kind vessels, with localization rates in complex projects rising from 60% in 2019 to 90% today, and construction timelines cut by more than six months.
More than 93% of materials and 27% of core equipment are now sourced locally within Jiangsu and surrounding areas, reflecting a highly integrated production ecosystem from design to manufacturing.
Officials also noted that increasing use of AI and smart manufacturing technologies is transforming the sector from high-volume production to high-efficiency, technology-driven shipbuilding, strengthening China’s global leadership in the maritime industry.
