China has maintained its global leadership in shipbuilding in the first half of 2025, according to data from the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry (CANSI).
Between January and June, Chinese shipyards delivered vessels amounting to 24.13 million deadweight tonnes (DWT), a 3.5 % decrease year‑on‑year.
They also secured 44.33 million DWT of new orders, down 18.2 %, while their order backlog reached 234.54 million DWT, marking a 36.7 % increase compared with June 2024.
In terms of global share, China accounted for 51.7 % of completed ship tonnage, 68.3 % of new orders, and 64.9 % of the order backlog in DWT terms.
However, alternative sources provide differing figures: maritime consultancy Clarksons Research and outlets like the South China Morning Post and Business Standard report that Chinese new orders dropped to 26.3 million DWT, a 68 % decline year‑on‑year, amounting to China’s global share of 56 % in new orders.
China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry (CANSI) is the official national industry association representing China’s shipbuilding enterprises. It coordinates industry standards, policy alignment, innovation efforts and international cooperation. Acting as a central statistical collector, it publishes regular industry performance data.