Labor shortage limits capacity, keeping companies from tapping robust demand
Imabari Shipbuilding is having trouble meeting Japanese replacement demand, let alone tackling new overseas demand, its president said. (Photo obtained by Nikkei)
TOKYO — New contracts for Japanese shipbuilders of vessels for export fell for a fourth straight year in fiscal 2025 amid a crushing labor shortage, impeding the government’s plan to double shipbuilding capacity by 2035.