China's gross ocean product grows 4.9% in first 9 months

(ECNS) — China's gross ocean product, a measure of its marine economy, reached 8.5 trillion yuan (about $1.27 trillion) in the first nine months of 2026, up 4.9% from a year earlier, the Ministry of Natural Resources said Wednesday in preliminary data.

Fishing boats set out from Shidao Fishing Port in Rongcheng, east China's Shandong province, on Sept. 1, 2026, as the four-month summer fishing moratorium in the Bohai and Yellow seas ended, marking the start of the fishing season. (Drone photo: Li Xinjun)

China's marine industries recorded strong growth in shipbuilding and offshore engineering equipment. New shipbuilding orders, completed vessels and order backlogs, measured by compensated gross tonnage, rose 98.5%, 35% and 41.9%, respectively. The value of new orders for offshore engineering equipment rose 123.3%, accounting for more than 80% of the global market.

Other marine sectors also expanded. Offshore crude oil output rose 3.5%, while domestic marine aquatic product output increased 4.6%, including a 5.8% rise in marine aquaculture. Cargo throughput at coastal ports grew 1.6%, and container throughput rose 4.7%.

(By Tang Yuxian)