Chinese shipbuilders are benefiting from an exceptionally favourable market, driven by the global diversification of crude oil sources. After the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, shipowners sourcing crude from the Atlantic and the Americas began placing successive orders in China for large-capacity tankers needed for long-haul transportation.
According to data published on 20 September by the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry (CANSI), Chinese shipyards took new orders totalling 121.06 million deadweight tonnes (DWT) in the first half of this year — 2.7 times the volume recorded in the same period a year earlier. As a result, China’s share of global new orders rose by 14 percentage points, reaching 82%.
CSSC and Hengli lead global order books
China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), the world’s largest shipbuilder, took new orders worth 22.45 million DWT in the first half — more than double the figure for the same period last year. Over the same interval, privately owned shipbuilder Hengli Heavy Industry secured contracts for 207 vessels, far exceeding the 115 vessels contracted over the whole of the previous year.
An analysis by Nikkei Asia shows that tensions in the Gulf unexpectedly triggered a surge in China’s shipbuilding industry. In practice, Chinese shipbuilders now hold the majority of global orders for new vessel construction, further consolidating Asia’s dominant position in this strategic sector.
For the European and Romanian shipbuilding industry, this development highlights the growing competitive pressure from Asian yards and the importance of industrial policies that support shipbuilding capacity in Europe.
Source: China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry (CANSI), data published on 20 September 2026, Nikkei Asia analysis. Photo: ships under construction at Esbjerg Shipyard — Thomas Dahl, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.