The emblem of South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean at their workplace constructing in Seoul, South Korea, October 15, 2025.
Kim Hong-ji | Reuters
Shares of South Korean agency Hanwha Ocean surged 10% Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump introduced that the agency would assist construct new frigates for the nation’s Navy.
Talking at a press convention, Trump stated that the warships can be constructed on the Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, acquired by the South Korean firm in 2024, and wherein it has pledged to speculate $5 billion as a part of South Korea’s $150 billion shipbuilding pledge.
The shipbuilding pledge is a part of the broader U.S.-South Korea commerce deal that noticed tariffs lowered on South Korean exports to fifteen%, in change for a $350 billion funding pledge from Seoul, amongst different concessions.
Hanwha Ocean is one in every of South Korea’s main shipbuilding companies, having experience in constructing industrial ships equivalent to LNG carriers, in addition to and army naval platforms together with submarines and floor vessels.
South Korean protection shares have been on a roll this yr, with main protection gamers equivalent to Hanhwa Aerospace and Hyundai Rotem gaining over 170% and 270%, respectively yr so far. Hanhwa Ocean has surged extra 220% thus far this yr.
Final week, the U.S. Navy introduced the FF(X) class of ships — smaller combatant ships — which it stated will complement bigger, multi-mission warships and improve operational flexibility across the globe. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan stated the brand new frigate class can be a part of Trump’s envisioned “Golden Fleet.”
Trump on Monday stateside stated that the U.S. Navy will construct two new “Trump-class” battleships, and should broaden the depend to as a lot as 25 such ships.
The U.S. president described the ships as “a number of the most deadly floor warfare ships,” including that the they’ll “assist keep American army supremacy, [and] encourage concern in America’s enemies all around the world.”
Describing them as “the quickest, the largest, and by far, 100 occasions extra highly effective than any battleship ever constructed,” the Trump-class battleships are envisioned to be outfitted with hypersonic weapons, lasers, cruise missiles, and nuclear weapons, based on the U.S. President.
