Rugao Port. [Photo/WeChat account: rugaofabu]

Rugao Port posted strong growth in new ship exports during the first half of 2026, underscoring the rising competitiveness of the city's shipbuilding industry in global markets.

According to Rugao Customs, the port supervised the export of 16 newly built vessels from January to June, with a total value of 3.72 billion yuan ($551.27 million), up 57.7 percent year-on-year. The export portfolio has also become more diversified, expanding beyond traditional bulk carriers to include heavy-lift vessels and chemical tankers.

Among local shipbuilders, Haitong Offshore Engineering led the way, exporting eight newly built ships worth 1.81 billion yuan in the first six months, a 54.5 percent increase from a year earlier. Another newcomer, Wuchuan (Nantong) Shipbuilding, which established operations at Rugao Port in February 2026, has already exported three vessels.

Haitong's large intelligent bulk carriers, equipped with energy-saving technologies such as vortex-reduction fins and pre-swirl ducts, have been well received by international customers, said Gu Jun, head of the company's administration department. The company has secured orders through 2029, with all of its shipbuilding berths operating at full capacity.

Rugao has built a comprehensive marine equipment manufacturing ecosystem. The city's shipbuilding and offshore engineering cluster now includes 45 core enterprises spanning ship construction and repair, marine systems and components, intelligent vessels, offshore platforms and offshore renewable energy equipment.

The cluster has also been recognized as one of Nantong's three flagship shipbuilding and offshore engineering industrial parks.