HD Hyundai Accelerates U.S. Expansion with Strategic Shipbuilding Partnership

‘I am well aware of Korea’s world-class warships and shipbuilding capabilities,’ Trump said, adding, ’We need to work closely with Korea not only in exporting our ships but also in refurbishing, repairing and overhauling them.’ Pictured is the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard.

SEOUL, June 22 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s HD Hyundai has entered into a strategic partnership with a major U.S. shipbuilder, signaling deepening cooperation between the two allies in the wake of President Donald Trump’s re-election and renewed emphasis on domestic industrial revival.

The company announced Saturday that it signed a comprehensive agreement with Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) on June 19 in New Orleans to jointly build commercial vessels in the United States. ECO, which operates five shipyards across the country and has delivered more than 300 offshore support vessels (OSVs), is widely regarded as a global leader in the sector.

Under the agreement, HD Hyundai and ECO will co-construct mid-sized LNG dual-fuel container ships at ECO’s U.S.-based shipyards by 2028. HD Hyundai will provide vessel design, procurement agency services, technical construction support, and selected prefabricated blocks, while also investing in technology assets to support the effort.

The collaboration is expected to expand beyond container ships, with both companies eyeing future joint work on other vessel types and high-security port cranes—an area of growing strategic importance.

Choi Han-nae, Head of Strategy at HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (right), poses for a commemorative photo with Dino Chouest, CEO of Edison Chouest Offshore, at the company’s headquarters in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Image provided by HD Hyundai)

Notably, the initiative originated from ECO, which approached HD Hyundai to enhance its competitiveness in commercial shipbuilding. According to Clarkson Research, all three container ships ordered from U.S. shipbuilders between 2022 and 2024 were commissioned by American shipping companies, reflecting a concentrated but nascent demand for domestically built cargo vessels.

By securing exclusive rights to this partnership, HD Hyundai aims to deepen its foothold in the U.S. market and bolster cooperation with its key ally. The company described the partnership as a long-term commitment aligned with U.S. industrial and security priorities.

“The United States is a vital ally and business partner,” said an HD Hyundai spokesperson. “Through this collaboration with ECO, we will actively support the revival of America’s shipbuilding industry and its broader national security goals.”

This agreement follows a string of recent moves by HD Hyundai to strengthen its U.S. presence. In April, the company signed an MOU with Huntington Ingalls Industries, the largest defense shipbuilder in the U.S., to jointly advance productivity and high-tech shipbuilding practices.

It also entered a supply chain partnership with Fairbanks Morse Defense and signed an education-focused MOU last year with the University of Michigan and Seoul National University to cultivate talent in the shipbuilding sector.

The latest partnership underscores HD Hyundai’s growing role in shaping the future of U.S.-Korea industrial cooperation under a shifting geopolitical and trade landscape.

A panoramic view of the Edison Chouest Offshore shipyard (Image provided by HD Hyundai).

Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)