Share

Industry and globalisation

Shipbuilding

 

shipbuilding landing

The OECD Council Working Party on Shipbuilding (WP6) provides an international platform for the exchange of information as well as the elaboration of economic and policy analysis on several aspects of the shipbuilding sector. Under its mandate, the WP6 aims to establish normal competitive conditions in the shipbuilding industry, notably by encouraging transparency and consulting with both non-OECD economies and relevant industry groups.

Recent work of the WP6 covers areas such as:

  • The compilation and analysis of subsidies and other support measures provided to the shipbuilding sector through an inventory in which a number of non-OECD economies also participate.
  • Analyzing the nature and effect of factors that can distort the shipbuilding market.
  • Country-level peer reviews of domestic shipbuilding industry and related government policies. 
  • Analyzing supply and demand, and the extent of excess supply and capacity in the global shipbuilding industry. 
  • Studies on policies encouraging the production and operation of greener ships.

 

Latest reports

 

EVENTS

2023 - Workshop: Labour issues in the shipbuilding and marine equipment industries: Breaking away from “tradition”

2022 - C-WP6 and Steel Committee Joint Workshop: Factors impacting prices and costs for shipbuilding: Towards smoother sailing?

2019 - Workshop: Trends and challenges in shipbuilding - A special look at the maritime equipment industry

2018 - Workshop: Factors impacting costs and distorting the shipbuilding market

2017 - Workshop: Green growth of maritime industries
2016 - Workshop: Maritime clusters and global bhallenges - WP6 50th anniversary
2015 - Workshop: Supply and demand in the shipbuilding industry
2014 - Workshop: Shipbuilding and the offshore industry
2013 - Workshop: Global value chains in shipbuilding
2012 - Workshop: The future of shipbuilding
2012 - Special session on market distorting factors
2011 - Workshop: Green growth in shipbuilding
2009 - Market distorting factors in the shipbuilding industry
2009 - Discussion: Impact of the economic downturn on the shipbuilding industry
2008 - The changing structure of the world shipbuilding industry
2006 - The global shipbuilding industry: A stock-take

Peer reviews and profiles

DATA AND RESOURCES

EXCESS SUPPLY AND EXCESS CAPACITY

The shipbuilding industry was severely affected by the 2008 global financial crisis, and recent years have seen very low levels of new orders received by virtually all shipyards. The global industry now faces a number of challenges, most notably global excess supply and excess capacity, which will place the economic viability of the industry under pressure in some parts of the world.

Persistent worldwide overcapacity may encourage governments to provide support through subsidies and other measures, as well as spur other market distorting practices, which can create major structural problems even in the most efficient shipbuilding industries. But potential market distortions can be addressed through close co-operation among economies, with significant shipbuilding sectors and the active involvement of industry.

INVENTORY OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORT MEASURES

The Inventory of Government Subsidies and Other Support Measures is a regular exercise for the WP6. The main aim of this exercise is to provide transparency and continuity of data on support measures for the shipbuilding industry. As well as WP6 participants, the Inventory provides some information on the support measures in Partner economies.

 

CONTACT

For further information please contact the OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation at [email protected].

 

Related Documents