China's second domestically built large cruise ship on April 20, 2024 enters a dock at the No.2 dock of its builder Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co (Photo: CCTV)
Chinese companies clinched 76 percent of all global shipbuilding orders in April, becoming the No 1 shipbuilder in the world, according to latest industry data, highlighting China's increasingly prominent role in the global shipbuilding industry.
Industry analysts note that the US' protectionism cannot stop Chinese shipbuilders' rise.
According to Clarkson Research, a provider of shipping and trade data released on Tuesday, global shipbuilding orders in April reached 4.71 million compensated gross tons (CGT) for 121 vessels, marking a 24-percent year-on-year increase. Chinese firms secured 3.58 million CGT (76 percent, 91 vessels), ranking the first; while the runner-up South Korea obtained 670,000 CGT (14 percent, 13 vessels).
Additionally, as of the end of April, unfinished orders decreased by 100,000 CGT compared to the previous month, amounting to 129.91 million CGT. China and South Korea accounted for 64.86 million CGT (50 percent) and 39.10 million CGT (30 percent) of those orders, respectively.
"China's leading position in shipbuilding has been set up since the 14th Five-Year Plan starts. While previously excelling in mid-to-low-tier market segment, China is now vigorously advancing into high-end shipbuilding domain such as making LNG vessels. Efforts by Chinese shipbuilders have garnered considerable acclaim in the world," Tian Yun, a veteran economist told the Global Times on Wednesday.
In addition to the gains in manufacturing capacity, China has also made significant breakthroughs in ship maintenance, garnering growing demand both domestically and abroad. Overall, the market now appears to be a showdown between China and South Korea, according to Tian.
Shipbuilding, known as the one of crown jewels of manufacturing, which spans over 50 sectors and boasts an extensive supply chain.
Since 2019, China's ship completions have risen steadily. In January-September 2023, China accounted for 46 percent of global completed tonnage, 63.5 percent of the new orders, ranking first worldwide.
Market watchers said that China will continue to enjoy the dominant position in the global shipbuilding market within a decade, due to its strong supply chain capabilities and increasingly eco-friendly tech advancements.
As China makes steady gains in shipbuilding, the US is worrying about losing another key industrial sector. Seeking to stymie Chinese shipbuilders, the US government launched a so-called Section 301 investigation on April 17, citing alleged "unfair economic practices" by China in maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding domains.
China's Ministry of Commerce rebuffed the US accusation, calling it baseless and a distortion of normal trade and investment activities. China isn't responsible for the US shipbuilding industry's lagging behind, resulting from the US' excessive protectionism. China's industrial growth is fueled by technological innovation and free market competition, not the non-market practices as alleged by the US, the ministry said.
根据最新行业数据，中国企业在4月份签署的全球船舶建造订单占据了76%的份额，成为全球第一大造船国，彰显了中国在全球船舶建造行业中日益突出的地位。
4月份全球船舶建造订单达到471万CGT（补偿总吨），涉及121艘船舶，同比增长24%。中国企业签署的订单达到358万CGT（占76%，91艘船舶），居首位；而位居第二的韩国则获得了67万CGT的订单（占14%，13艘船舶）。
此外，截至4月底，未完成订单量相比上月减少了10万CGT，总量为1.2991亿CGT。其中，中国和韩国分别占据了6486万CGT（50%）和3910万CGT（30%）的订单。
行业分析师指出，中国船舶建造业的崛起不受美国保护主义的影响。中国的领先地位得益于其在中低端市场的出色表现，以及近年来积极进军LNG等高端船舶建造领域。中国船舶建造业的进步得到了世界的广泛认可。
随着中国在船舶建造领域的稳步发展，美国正担心失去另一个关键的产业部门。为了阻止中国船舶建造业的发展，美国政府于4月17日启动了所谓的301调查，声称中国在海事、物流和船舶建造领域存在所谓的“不公平经济行为”。
中国商务部驳斥了美国的指责，称其毫无根据，是对正常贸易和投资活动的歪曲。中国不应对美国船舶建造业的落后负责，这是美国过度保护主义的结果。中国的工业增长是由技术创新和自由市场竞争推动的，而不是美国所声称的非市场行为。
