Post #4465161

'In Japan, production has consolidated into fewer shipbuilders, with sectoral employment declining from roughly 250 000 in the 1980s to about 71 000 in 2024. Korea, the largest shipbuilding economy within the OECD and the second largest globally, has experienced recurring financial crises among its three largest shipbuilders, leading to periodic restructuring and layoffs. In the United States, the number of active commercial shipyards has declined by more than 70% since 1975, with the loss of over 70 000 jobs. 'In 2025, China accounted for more than half of global ship deliveries measured in CGT, well ahead of the next largest shipbuilding economies, Korea and Japan. More than two-thirds of China’s shipbuilding deliveries in CGT in 2025 were destined to foreign owners, underscoring the extent to which this capacity serves global, not just domestic, demand. 'For intermediate-size containerships (7–9k Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit), prices for Chinese-built ships are nearly 10% lower than those from other major shipbuilding economies. For the largest product tankers (110–120k deadweight tonnage), the gap widens to around 14%. And in higher‑value segments such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, Chinese shipyards have maintained an average price advantage of around 5% over the past four years. 'Although this [average manufacturing wages] gap has narrowed markedly since the early 2000s, when labour costs in China were roughly 20 times lower, they continue to exert competitive pressure on OECD shipbuilding economies. 'Subsidies to Chinese firms amounted to approximately 2.5% of their revenues in 2024, in line with their 2010-2024 average. By contrast, firms from OECD economies received subsidies equivalent to around 0.2% of their revenues in 2024, below their long-term average of 0.4%. 'China's shipbuilding industry has progressively diversified its production mix, reducing reliance on conventional vessel types, such as bulkers, containerships, and tankers, while strengthening its position in higher-value segments including gas carriers and entering new ones like large cruise ships. China has also emerged as a leading supplier of alternative‑fuelled vessels, securing 68.5% of orders in 2024'. https://www.oecd.org/en/blogs/2026/06/oecd-shipbuilding-economies-under-pressure-as-china-reshapes-global-competition.html