Samsung Heavy Industries builds a liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier. /Courtesy of Samsung Heavy Industries

The domestic shipbuilding industry stock prices are on the rise every day. As President Donald Trump prepares to take office in the United States, expectations are growing in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier and specialized vessel sectors.

Samsung Heavy Industries stocks were traded at 12,700 won on the KOSPI market at 9:29 a.m. on the 15th. The stock price rose by 7.17% (850 won) compared to the previous day. In early trading, the stock price jumped to 12,970 won, setting a new high for the past year.

Hanwha Ocean and Hanwha Engine broke their all-time highs in just one day. HD Hyundai, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, HD Hyundai MiPO, and HD Hyundai Marine Engine are also showing strong performance.

The increase in shipbuilding sector stock prices is attributed to LNG carriers. As the Trump administration plans to liberalize LNG exports, this could lead to orders for LNG carriers. LNG carriers represent an area where the domestic shipbuilding industry has a competitive advantage, and consensus suggests that the likelihood of ordering U.S. volumes from Chinese shipyards is low.

Collaboration in the specialized vessel sector is also expected to gain momentum. Currently, it is primarily focused on maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services for U.S. Navy vessels, but there are possibilities for aggressive expansion in collaboration with domestic shipyards. The U.S. Congress estimated that to construct and procure the desired scale of warships for the U.S. Navy, an investment of over $1 trillion (approximately 1,460 trillion won) would be necessary over the next 30 years.