China remained the world's leading shipbuilder in the first half of the year, as its market share ranked first globally in output, new, and holding orders.

State media reported that the country's shipbuilding output hit 18.5 million deadweight tonnes (dwt) in the January-June period, accounting for 45.2% of the world's total, citing data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

It said new shipbuilding orders — another major indicator of the shipbuilding industry — came in at 22.46 million dwt in the first six months of 2022, taking up 50.8% of the global market share.

"By the end of June, China's shipbuilding holding orders rose 18.6% year on year to 102.74 million dwt, with a global market share reaching 47.8%," the ministry said as reported by Xinhua.