Chinese Shipyards Set Order Record
Chinese shipyards strengthened their dominance in the global order market by securing more new tonnage orders in the first half of 2026 than in any previous full year.
According to China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, new orders reached a total of 121.06 million DWT between January and June, up 173.1% compared to the same period last year, accounting for 82.3% of global orders in terms of DWT. This six-month volume was 12.3% higher than the 107.82 million DWT achieved during the whole of 2025.
The pace showed no sign of slowing in the second quarter. Chinese shipyards added 61.53 million DWT of orders between April and June, slightly above the 59.53 million DWT contracted in the first three months of the year.
Shipbuilding output increased 51.2% in the first half to reach 36.5 million DWT, giving China a 62.2% share of global completions. Approximately 20.82 million DWT was delivered in the second quarter alone, compared with 15.68 million DWT in the first quarter.
As of the end of June, the country's orderbook stood at 363.25 million DWT, up 54.9% from the previous year, accounting for 71.2% of the global tonnage on order. The orderbook grew by approximately 41 million DWT during the second quarter.
Chinese builders secured more than 80% of global orders in each of the three largest conventional ship types: bulk carriers, container ships, and tankers. The country also maintained a share of more than 68% of global green ship orders, a level that Chinese shipyards have held for the past three years.
