China's shipbuilding industry continued to lead the global market in the first half of 2026, with completion volume, new orders, and order backlog all hitting record highs, according to data released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Thursday.
In the first half of this year, China's shipbuilding completion volume — a key indicator of construction capacity — reached 36.5 million deadweight tons, up 51.2 percent year on year.
The order backlog, which reflects long-term industry stability, stood at 363.25 million deadweight tons, an increase of 54.9 percent.
New orders, a measure of market competitiveness, surged to 121.06 million deadweight tons — a 173.1 percent jump that already surpasses the previous annual peak.
"The booming global market that began in the first quarter has continued into the first half of the year. China's shipbuilding continues to shine, with both completion volume and order backlog growing by more than 50 percent. What's really striking is the surge in new orders — that's a remarkable achievement," said Li Yanqing, vice president of the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry.
An analysis of the new order data shows that China's share of the international market for the three mainstream ship types — bulk carriers, container ships, and oil tankers — all exceeded 80 percent, reflecting the country's full-scale shipbuilding capability across all vessel categories.
Meanwhile, green and low-carbon vessels have emerged as a key growth area for China's shipbuilding industry transformation and upgrading.
"For three consecutive years, China has held more than 68 percent of the global market share in new orders for green vessels. In the first half of this year, the country maintained that high ratio. The shift toward mid and high end vessel manufacturing is picking up pace, and China is clearly a dominant player in this regard," said Li.
China shipbuilding hits record highs as green orders dominate global market
