Can America reclaim its shipbuilding edge in fragmented global market?

The global shipbuilding industry is entering a decade of robust growth, projected to surge from US$42 billion in 2024 to more than US$73 billion by 2033, driven by container fleet expansion, shipping digitalization, and new decarbonization practices.

Yet while East Asia dominates the industry, the United States is repositioning itself to play a more assertive role in the global maritime manufacturing ecosystem.

With China holding over 230 times the shipbuilding capacity of the United States, and South Korea and Japan securing the rest of the market, American policymakers are treating this not just as an economic shortfall, but as a strategic vulnerability.