China leads orders of ships with 81.8% of the world market

Ochinese shipyards received, between january and september, new shipbuilding orders equivalent to 81.8% of the world total, an increase of 14.5 percentage points compared to the same period of 2025, according to official data released today.

According to the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the new orders amounted to 175.3 million tons of gross weight, a yearly increase of 163.2%.

China's share of the new global orders rose from 67.3% in the first nine months of 2025, although it declined slightly from the 82.3% achieved in the first half of this year.

The production of Chinese shipyards reached 58.1 million tonnes of gross size, an annual growth of 50.7%, corresponding to 63.6% of the world total.

The outstanding order portfolio amounted to 399.1 million tonnes, plus 64.8% more than one year earlier, representing 72.4% of the international market.

China has also concentrated 74.1% of the world's new orders for energy-powered ships considered green, more 5.7 percentage points than in the first half, at a time when maritime transport seeks to reduce polluting emissions.

The growth occurs in an international market marked by fleet renewal, the demand for more efficient vessels and the reorganization of trade routes due to geopolitical tensions, factors that increased the transport capacity needs in certain segments.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development warned that the extension of maritime routes, especially due to the diversion of the Suez channel to the Cape of Good Hope, is increasing the demand for maritime transport capacity.

The expansion of the Chinese naval industry strengthens the country's position vis-à-vis other major Asian manufacturers, notably South Korea and Japan.

However, the quotas released by Beijing are calculated in gross tonnes, not necessarily reflecting the economic value or technological complexity of the ships ordered.