Why China’s shipyards still have ‘clear edge’ over rivals despite US port fee

China’s shipbuilders already lead in terms of capacity, price and quality – and they will benefit from the green transition, insiders say

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A worker looks out over a port in China’s southern Guangdong province. China remains the world’s leading shipbuilder despite efforts by the United States to curtail its dominance. Photo: Reuters

Published: 6:00pm, 21 Oct 2025

The fallout from the US-China port fee battle is still rippling through the global shipping sector as companies scramble to adapt. Yet, despite the drama, industry players still expect China to retain its edge as a leading shipbuilder – especially if the sector presses ahead with its green transition plans.

The United States imposed steep new levies on Chinese-linked vessels entering American ports earlier this month as part of a wider push to curtail China’s dominance of global shipbuilding, prompting Beijing to target US-owned or operated ships with similar charges in an apparent tit-for-tat move.

But Seaspan – one of the world’s largest owners and operators of container ships – has issued a vote of confidence in China’s shipbuilding industry. Of the more than 170 vessels the company has ordered in the past four years, 158 were made by Chinese shipyards at a total cost of US$20.8 billion.

“Setting aside geopolitical factors, Chinese shipyards hold a clear competitive edge in terms of capacity, price, quality and delivery reliability,” said Chen Bin, president and CEO of Seaspan, at an industry forum in Shanghai over the weekend.

During the first three quarters of 2025, China remained by far the largest shipbuilder in the world, accounting for 53.8 per cent of global output, 67.3 per cent of new orders and 65.2 per cent of total outstanding orders in deadweight tonnage terms, according to data released last week by the country’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

And China could gain further advantages as the maritime sector pushed ahead with efforts to reduce carbon emissions and transition to greener fuels, Chen said.

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