Saito Hideaki Elected OECD Shipbuilding Committee Chair

On July 31, 2026, the election of Hideaki Saito, an adviser to Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism nominated by Japan, as chair of the OECD Shipbuilding Committee was announced. Mr. Saito has been involved in shipbuilding administration at the ministry for many years and has also served as chair at the International Maritime Organization.

The OECD Shipbuilding Committee is a forum for intergovernmental policy coordination aimed at promoting sound shipbuilding markets and ensuring fair competitive conditions.

Japan will engage actively in the Shipbuilding Committee's activities to ensure fair competitive conditions in the international shipbuilding market.

The committee monitors the shipbuilding market, conducts mutual reviews of national policies, and operates and improves rules concerning the provision of ship export credit by public institutions. Participating members are Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Croatia, and Romania.

Japan has contributed to ship price and cost monitoring for major vessel types, as well as surveys of the impact of new decarbonization and digital technologies on the shipbuilding industry.

Mr. Saito has served as director of the Shipbuilding and Ship Machinery Division of the Maritime Bureau, deputy director-general for technology at the Maritime Bureau, and chair of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee.