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China shipbuilding

China shipbuilding
The latest news, analysis and opinion on China shipbuilding. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (R) and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer attend a press conference in the Swiss city of Geneva following trade talks with China on May 12, 2025. Photo: Kyodo
US-China trade war

Explainer | US trade officials mull further rollback of port fee rules – what’s different now?

Proposed policy shift could ease pressure on domestic exporters and benefit global players such as China.

US-China relations

Big shipowners take wind out of US sails, continue to order vessels from China

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US-China trade war

Trade war risks could push global shippers to Asia’s arbitration hubs: analysts

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Japan

Appealing offer? Japan offers to assist US shipbuilding amid tariff concerns

Japan is already investing heavily in its own shipbuilding future, driven by strategic concerns over China’s maritime dominance.

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A worker walks off a vessel being built in a shipyard in Dalian, China’s Liaoning province, in 2004. China has become a shipbuilding powerhouse in recent decades. Photo: EPA-EFE
US-China trade war

‘Not a real remedy’: Chinese crane maker raises questions over US tariff plans

Company says higher duties on Chinese cranes would just increase costs for American ports. The US ports association agrees.

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South Korea

China faces headwinds, but it’s not all plain sailing for Korean shipbuilders

America’s plan to impose higher docking fees on vessels made in China will be a blow, but South Korean shipyards face capacity constraints.

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US-China trade war

China’s shipyards breathe sigh of relief as US scales back port-fee plan

But major shipping carriers face even greater risks as new rules scrap upper limit for levies.

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The US plans to charge hefty fees every time a Chinese-built ship enters an American port, as it looks to counter the dominance of China’s shipyards. Photo: Eugene Lee
US-China trade war

China vows to hit back at US’ new ‘discriminatory’ port fees

Ministry of Commerce says the fresh levies on Chinese vessels will undermine the global supply chain.

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China’s military

Opinion | How China’s military-industrial complex is reshaping geopolitics

As China’s defence posture alters spheres of influence and trade, its allies and rivals are recalibrating their own military policies.

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US-China decoupling

US fires fresh broadside at China’s shipyards with new executive order

The US has softened a controversial port-fee proposal, but is preparing yet more tariffs targeting China’s dominant shipbuilding sector.

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The US is proposing a string of actions to counter the dominance of China’s shipbuilding sector. Photo: AFP
US-China decoupling

US snubs key shipbuilding summit as global maritime rift deepens

Washington’s attempts to counter China’s shipyards have sent shock waves across the global industry.

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The United States is pushing to rebuild its maritime sector and counter China’s dominance of global shipbuilding. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

Explainer | Why Trump is going full steam ahead to keep China’s shipbuilding in dry dock

US policies to curb China’s perceived influence on global shipping and shipbuilding are facing pushback – but Trump seems unlikely to let up.

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US-China decoupling

‘Extremely disruptive’: US plan to tax Chinese ships sparks industry backlash

Shipping bodies urged US policymakers to scrap a controversial port-fee proposal during hearings in Washington.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

China is building new ships at record pace to turbocharge its car exports

Shipyards are rolling out huge vessels capable of carrying 8,600 cars as China’s auto industry seeks to accelerate its global expansion.

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Chinese auto companies including BYD have been investing in car carriers as they seek to accelerate their global expansion. Photo: Xinhua
Donald Trump’s China policy

Explainer | Is China’s shipbuilding industry Donald Trump’s white whale?

The US president plans to establish a shipbuilding office to reward domestic producers and chip away at China’s global market dominance.

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Ships under construction in Taicang, Jiangsu province, in January. Photo: AFP
SCMP Highlights

China’s shipbuilding, bid for 2030 maths Olympics: SCMP daily highlights

From rare earth minerals to the tech behind a high orbit radar satellite, here’s a round-up from today’s China and economy coverage.

US-China trade war

US shot across China’s bow in shipbuilding could backfire as allies fall short

Shipbuilders in Japan and South Korea – likely intended to benefit from a US port fee plan targeting China – might not be able to make up for the shortfall.

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China manufacturing

China rebuffs US criticism of its world-leading shipbuilders

Ministry of Commerce urges Washington to ‘stop blaming China for US domestic industrial-development problems’.

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Ships are under construction in Taicang, Jiangsu province, on Thursday. Photo: AFP
China manufacturing

US seeks to target China’s shipbuilders. Why are they ‘not overly concerned’?

Washington has been looking into the world-leading dominance among Chinese shipping yards, but ‘we’re not overly concerned’, one executive says.

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US-China relations

US investigation finds China unfairly dominates shipbuilding, sources say

Chinese embassy spokesperson responds to report, says ‘US blames China for its own problems’.

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China exports

China’s shipbuilding industry swells amid a rising tide of global orders

China’s shipyards are set to be the main beneficiaries of a wave of new orders as their South Korean competitors adopt a more “cautious” approach, according to ING.

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China’s shipyards such as this one in the eastern city of Zhoushan dominate the global industry. Photo: VCG
US-China relations

Strengthening US shipbuilding to counter China becomes a focus of lawmakers

Bipartisan bill will be introduced in US Congress in effort to revitalise a diminished industry amid growing Chinese dominance.

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A drastic decline in US maritime capabilities is a prime motivation for the pending Ships for America Act, according to one of its congressional sponsors. Photo: Handout
China manufacturing

As competition heats up, South Korea tops China for shipbuilding orders

South Korean shipwrights took 40 per cent of global intake for ship orders last month, surpassing their Chinese peers for the second time this year.

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China’s military

China ‘could match’ US in military conflict thanks to shipbuilding strength

Observers said China’s ability to rapidly reconstitute its combat losses may give it an advantage, including against ‘hellscape’ strategy.

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China trade

Battle of supertankers heats up as China, South Korea contend for ship orders

QatarEnergy will pay China State Shipbuilding Corporation billions of US dollars for 18 tankers in a deal hailed as the industry’s biggest shipbuilding contract ever.

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An illustration of a massive liquefied natural gas tanker – the type that China State Shipbuilding Corporation intends to build for QatarEnergy. Photo: China State Shipbuilding Corp
China’s military

How will China respond to US Navy’s shipbuilding push with South Korea, Japan?

A shortage of domestic industrial capacity and concerns about China’s dominance are behind courting of Asian allies’ shipyards, analysts say.

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US Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro says his service is open to having South Korean and Japanese shipyards assemble certain American warships. Photo: US Navy
US-China relations

US must bolster its shipbuilding ports as China keeps strengthening: analysts

American defence posture is vulnerable amid Beijing’s build-up of its advanced missiles, warships and technology, influential government panel told.

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China manufacturing

China’s shipbuilding industry wants Beijing’s help to beat US, South Korea tech

Director of a research institute under the China State Shipbuilding Corporation has reiterated calls in state media for more technological advancements in the strategic shipbuilding sector.

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