China vendors have far to go

摘要

Chinese makers of liferafts and other lifesaving equipment are still playing catch-up with established international competitors in the domestic and overseas market, as technology barriers remain a major hurdle to their competitiveness. Chinese manufacturers have started to gain the trust of some shipowners in recent years, albeit compatriot ones. "It appears that some Chinese shipowners have begun to prefer Chinese-made lifeboats and davits," Frank Xiao Yuan, Harding Safety (Shanghai)'s regional sales director for northeast Asia, told IHS Maritime.