Properties of rust films generated on Ni-advanced weathering steels in a tropical marine environment were investigated by various surface analysis and electrochemical techniques. The results show that corrosion rate of Ni-advanced weathering steels with different contents of Cu exposed for two years in Male Island is much higher than that in the marine atmosphere with lower level of chloride. Cu has no influence on the phase composition of rust films generated on different Ni-advanced weathering steel, but leads to discrepancy of corrosion resistance. Moreover, Ni-advanced weathering steels with different contents of Cu exhibit the combination of uniform corrosion and non-uniform corrosion, higher Cu content can impede the degree of non-uniform corrosion.