South Korean media: Japan plans to double its shipbuilding capacity by 2035!
On October 15, the South Korean media "Seoul Economic Daily" published an article stating that the Japanese government has set a large-scale goal to restore the competitiveness of its stagnant shipbuilding industry.
The goal is to establish a shipbuilding system with a capacity of 18 million gross tons by 2035, approximately twice the current capacity. The plan aims to revitalize the Japanese shipbuilding industry, which has been weakened by China and South Korea, and make it a major industry again.
The Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism stated that in 2024, Japan's shipbuilding volume reached 9.08 million gross tons, accounting for about 13% of the global market. The Japanese government expects that if this goal is achieved, Japan's market share will increase to about 20%.
At the same time, it is also planned to establish a system where ships owned by Japanese shipowners are built in Japanese shipyards.
The Japanese government plans to complete the policy roadmap by autumn this year, proposing specific numerical targets and the scale of public-private investment. In addition, the Japanese government plans to introduce support measures through the supplementary budget for fiscal year 2025 and the main budget for fiscal year 2026, including strengthening shipbuilding capacity, cultivating talent, promoting cooperation between enterprises, and investing in digital transformation.
The challenge lies in cost competitiveness. According to the analysis by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the construction cost of Chinese bulk carriers is only about 80% of that in Japan. The Japanese government's position is that measures such as reducing material costs through joint procurement and suppressing construction costs by improving productivity must be taken.
The Japanese government has also set a target to convert about 40% of new ships built by 2035 into environmentally friendly ships powered by next-generation fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia. This move aims to strengthen support for technological development and enhance the combined competitiveness of Japan's shipping and shipbuilding industries.
This move coincides with the inclusion of shipbuilding in the cooperation field under the US-Japan tariff agreement.
The Japanese government's strategy is to first consolidate the domestic industrial base and then conduct international cooperation based on this foundation. Currently, China and South Korea occupy the top two positions in the shipbuilding industry. Whether Japan can regain its prominence remains to be seen.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1846045577212928/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.