The Future of Shipbuilding in Southeast Asia
Global shipbuilding demand is likely to remain resilient, with geopolitical conflict and uncertainty a primary driver, and Fitch Rating revised its sectoral outlook to “neutral” from “deteriorating” after the 2026 war between Iran, the United States and Israel. Global container volumes reached 16.2 million 20-foot-equivalent units in April, a 4 percent year-over-year increase, while analysts predicted fewer orders in 2026 and 2027 but geopolitical disruptions kept orderbooks strong. At the OECD-Southeast Asia Policy Roundtable on Shipbuilding, Steel, and AI in Tokyo in February 2026, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand agreed to a regional peer review of their shipbuilding sectors with the OECD, and the Philippines agreed to follow up on implementation pathways for OECD peer review recommendations.
Why it matters: The developments reflect the briefing's geoeconomics theme, as geopolitical conflict redirects shipbuilding demand and prompts Southeast Asian states to coordinate industrial policy through the OECD.