Historical Performance of Shipyards in the United States: A Dynamic Shift-Share Analysis

Abstract

We analyse the competitive performance of yards within the U.S. shipbuilding industry based on historical order book data. The large U.S. yards that survived the recent industry contraction have done so by achieving a good product mix and remaining competitive in the quest for military contracts. Yards that did not position themselves well in terms of product mix, or failed to succeed in the competition for military contracts, have reduced operations or shut down entirely.