At a time when overseas help is needed more than ever, Japan’s largest shipbuilder, Imabari Shipbuilding, has been hit with a five-year ban on hiring foreign trainees.
Imabari Shipbuilding will no longer have official certification for the Foreign Technical Internship Program until 2030 due to violations of the Industrial Safety and Health Law, according to the Japan Immigration Services Agency (ISA).
In addition, all trainees currently working at Imabari Shipbuilding will be transferred to other companies. Details of what exactly Imabari Shipbuilding is being penalized for have not yet been disclosed.
It is understood that Japan used to be the largest shipbuilding nation at the beginning of the 21st century, with Imabari Shipbuilding being the largest shipbuilding company in Japan, but over the past 25 years, Japan’s shipbuilding position has been eroded by China and South Korea.
Japan’s demographic structure is not conducive to the development of the shipbuilding industry, forcing Japan to amend its immigration laws in order to introduce overseas workers to help the shipbuilding industry.
According to the ranking of the world’s top ten shipyards (single ship company, not shipbuilding groups) released by Clarksons at the beginning of this year, Japanese shipyards have been completely squeezed out. All 10 shipyards are from China and South Korea, namely New Times Shipbuilding, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, New Yangzi Shipbuilding, Hengli Heavy Industries, Samsung Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean, HD Hyundai Samho, Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (DSIC), Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, and Jiangnan Shipyard.