A recent social media post has highlighted the significant disparity in global shipbuilding capabilities, noting that China's largest shipbuilder constructed more commercial vessels by tonnage in 2024 than the entire United States shipbuilding industry has produced since the end of World War II. The tweet, from user "Crémieux," stated, "A stark reminder of the problem America faces: China's largest shipbuilder built more ships by tonnage last year than America has built in total since World War 2." This assertion underscores a long-standing trend of declining American shipbuilding capacity.
Data from various sources, including the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), corroborates this widening gap. China's shipbuilding capacity is estimated to be hundreds of times greater than that of the United States, with some reports suggesting it is 232 to over 600 times larger. The U.S. share of the global commercial shipbuilding market has plummeted to a mere 0.1% to 0.13%, while China commands over half of the world's commercial shipbuilding output.
At the heart of China's dominance is the state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), which has become the world's largest shipbuilder. China's rise in this sector is attributed to decades of strategic industrial policy, substantial state subsidies, and the seamless integration of civil and military shipbuilding capabilities. This dual-use approach allows for rapid scaling and technological advancement, enabling China to produce vessels with remarkable speed and efficiency.
Conversely, the United States' shipbuilding industry has experienced a significant decline since its peak during World War II. The expiration of shipbuilding subsidies in 1981 and a subsequent period of policy neglect have contributed to the erosion of its industrial base. This decline poses critical national security and economic challenges for the U.S., impacting its ability to maintain naval superiority, secure its maritime supply chains, and foster domestic industrial employment.
Experts and policymakers have expressed growing concerns over these trends, particularly regarding their implications for potential protracted conflicts and global supply chain resilience. While the U.S. Navy still holds an advantage in overall warship tonnage due to its large aircraft carrier fleet, China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is numerically the world's largest, and its rapid expansion continues to narrow the qualitative gap. Calls for revitalizing American shipbuilding capacity are increasing amidst these geopolitical and economic shifts.