International. Chinese shipyards won 1,131 of the 1,481 newbuilding orders placed worldwide in the first half of 2026, about 31 million compensated gross tonnes (CGT) and roughly 72 per cent of the market, The Maritime Executive reported on 8 July, citing Clarksons. China’s order count was about twice its level a year earlier.
South Korean yards won 195 orders of about 8 million CGT, 60 per cent more than in the first half of 2025 and about a fifth of global market share. Korean builders are choosing orders for profitability and hold about two-thirds of the global LNG carrier orderbook, according to Wood Mackenzie, while Chinese yards lead in lower-margin classes such as small container ships and bulkers. MSC alone has 128 container ships on order, all at Chinese yards. The figures exclude warships.
For Bangladeshi builders targeting small and medium vessels, the data show how concentrated that segment of the global market has become.
Source
- The Maritime Executive: “Chinese Shipyards Double Their New Order Volume in First Half of 2026” (8 July 2026)
File photo: Jiangnan Shipyard on Changxing Island, Shanghai. Photo: MNXANL / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
This article was prepared by Maritime News BD from the report(s) and documents listed above; it was not independently reported by Maritime News BD.
