The number of new containerships ordered in the first 9 months of 2025 has reached 385 units for 3.36m teu. Full year numbers could match the record of 4.67m teu ordered in 2024 and 4.74m teu ordered in 2021 if the current pace of new ship contracting continues. The orderbook reached 32.2% of the operating fleet, and planned deliveries will hit 2.9m teu in 2027 and 3.8m teu in 2028. The new deliveries will far exceed the projected scrapping of older vessels in the coming 3 years. The widebeam
The containership orderbook has reached a record high of 10.4m TEU, following the flurry of new ship orders placed in the last 12 months, with the orderbook ratio rising to 31.7% of the fleet - its highest levels since 2010. The last time the orderbook ratio exceeded this level in 2004-2009, it ended in a decade-long supply overhang that took 10 years to clear. There is still over 1m TEU of pending ship orders that are due to be added before the end of this year.
Carriers are rushing to secure ship contracts despite rising newbuilding prices and growing concerns over over-capacity by the time these ships hit the water in 2027-2029. COSCO is the latest carrier to join in the new order frenzy with a fresh order revealed last week for 12 units of 13,700 teu at its COSCO Yangzhou shipyard for delivery over 2027-2029 bringing the total capacity contracted in August to a record high of over 1.4m teu, including several Letters of Intent (LOIs) that are expect
The global containership fleet has exceeded the 30m teu milestone for the first time with 51 new containerships delivered in June, bringing the total number of ships delivered in the first 6 months of this year to 271 units for 1.68m teu. A further 1.49m teu is scheduled for delivery later in the 2nd half of the year with only minimal slippages expected. The 2nd quarter is the peak of the current delivery cycle, with an average monthly delivery rate of 315,000 teu at almost 2 new ships joining