Global liner shipping has entered an unprecedented vessel ordering cycle in 2025, with new containership contracts reaching their highest level on record. According to data from Linerlytica, shipowners have placed orders for 633 containerships totalling 5.08 million teu so far this year, eclipsing the previous peaks of 4.74 million teu in 2021 and 4.77 million teu in 2024.
A defining feature of the current ordering boom is the overwhelming dominance of Chinese shipyards, which have secured around 72 per cent of the total capacity ordered on a teu basis. Industry participants note that owners are moving quickly to lock in slots, particularly for feeder and mid-sized vessels, as available yard capacity tightens.
The order tally continues to rise. Shipping news outlet Splash reported that MPC Container Ships has placed an additional order for six 3,700 teu vessels at Taizhou Sanfu Ship Engineering, further adding to the record-breaking total.
While ordering momentum remains strong, analysts are increasingly warning of longer-term market risks. Filipe Gouveia, shipping analysis manager at BIMCO, highlighted that the container orderbook now equals about 33 per cent of the existing global fleet, a level he described as troubling from a supply–demand perspective.
