Japan has offered to support US efforts to rebuild its civilian and military shipbuilding industries – a strategic gesture analysts say could help counter China’s growing dominance in the sector and ease the impact of looming American tariffs on Japanese imports.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced Japan’s desire to help the United States during a speech in Kyoto on Sunday, emphasising Japanese shipbuilders’ skills and the country’s long seafaring history.
“The government wants to cooperate in the shipbuilding sector,” Ishiba said. “Japan has a substantial advantage in terms of icebreakers. Icebreakers are one key area of cooperation,” he added, referring to specialised ships designed to navigate through ice-covered waters, often used for polar research and Arctic or Antarctic operations.
Japan has high hopes that the technology developed for its state-of-the-art icebreaker Shirase can be adopted by the US and potentially have crossover applications in military vessels.
Ishiba noted that Washington was seeking shipyards in allied countries for repairs and refits of its warships, instead of sending them back to the US. He suggested that Japan was prepared to assist in this effort.