In 2025, shipping lines ordered around 600 new container vessels, up 42% year-on-year compared with 2024 (413 ships). This marks the second-highest order volume on record, according to Veson Nautical.

The figure is given as an estimate, as some contracts are still in the final confirmation stage. Still, the trend is clear: despite high newbuilding prices, regulatory uncertainty, and the lack of clarity around future fuels, carriers continue to invest heavily in fleet expansion.

Order activity in 2025 was supported by steady container demand, growth in global trade, and longer sailing distances caused by diversions around the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, which temporarily absorbed available fleet capacity.

At the same time, the orderbook structure is shifting. The market is moving away from ultra-large vessels toward more flexible ship sizes. The main focus is on Post-Panamax ships, with 213 orders placed (+53% YoY). These vessels are seen as a “sweet spot”: suitable for East–West trades without the infrastructure constraints faced by ULCVs.

Where the ships were ordered:

China accounted for about 78% of all orders (around 468 vessels), driven by pricing, scale, and shipbuilding capacity. South Korea took roughly 19%, focusing on more complex and alternative-fuel projects.

Who placed the orders:

China led among buyers with 159 vessels (including Hong Kong and Taiwan), followed by Singapore with 70 orders (+43%). European shipowners remained selective, prioritising technology over volume.

Veson Nautical cautions that after 2026, supply growth may begin to outpace demand. If Suez transits normalize, ton-mile demand could decline, increasing pressure on freight rates.

The surge in new container ship orders placed at Chinese shipyards is not driven by expectations of global trade growth. Instead, it reflects how carriers are preparing for a long-term fragmented world.

According to Linerlytica, container ship orders reached a record 5.08 million TEU in 2025, with 72% of that volume contracted in China — an all-time high. This is not a cyclical upswing, but a strategic shift.

The experience of the pandemic and recent geopolitical conflicts has exposed the vulnerability of highly optimized global supply chains. The industry is moving away from pure efficiency toward resilience, even at the cost of higher operating expenses. Carriers are no longer betting on a full normalization of routes such as the Suez Canal and are planning for the permanent use of alternative corridors.

The current orderbook already equals 31–32% of the active global fleet, the highest level since 2010. Traditional market analysis views this as a risk of overcapacity and potential freight rate pressure through the end of the decade. However, shipping lines increasingly see newbuilds as buffer capacity for a world with parallel and partially disconnected trade systems.

A structural transformation is underway. A single global network is being replaced by a segmented fleet — serving different trade blocs, sanction-compatible and non-compatible flows, and divergent regulatory and environmental regimes. The dominance of dual-fuel vessels (LNG, methanol) reflects not only decarbonization goals, but also the need to operate across fragmented regulatory frameworks.

The concentration of orders in China is strengthening mutual dependence. South Korea and Japan currently offer no comparable alternatives in terms of scale, pricing, or delivery capacity. Despite ongoing discussions about “decoupling,” Western carriers remain dependent on Chinese shipbuilding. Some lines are accelerating orders to hedge against potential future restrictions on access to Chinese yards, while strong current profitability allows contracts to be secured in advance.

Conclusion: carriers are not building fleets for a return to the old globalization model. They are investing in the infrastructure of a new trade order — defined by redundancy, parallel networks, and strategic flexibility rather than maximum efficiency.

Discussions around a possible sale of Zim are facing increasing opposition, particularly regarding the option of acquisition by Hapag-Lloyd. Worker representatives cite the strategic importance of Zim for the country’s trade and highlight the involvement of foreign investors among Hapag-Lloyd’s shareholders.

The process is further complicated by a special state share issued by the Israeli government in 2004 during the company’s privatization. Under its conditions:

- any buyer seeking to acquire more than 24% of shares must notify the Israeli authorities;

- acquiring over 35% requires formal approval from Israel;

- the company must remain registered in Israel;

- a majority of board members — including the chairperson and the CEO — must be Israeli citizens;

Zim must maintain a fleet of at least 11 vessels, with at least three of them being cargo ships, although the company currently has permission to operate a smaller fleet; any liquidation, merger or corporate restructuring requires written approval from the Israeli government, unless the special share remains active.

For reference, the major shareholders of Hapag-Lloyd include private and state-affiliated investors from Germany, Chile, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

The Suez Canal is officially making waves again ?

After months of decline due to regional tensions, October marked the best month in two years for vessel transits through the canal. The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) reported a 10% rise in total tonnage between July and October, with more than 4,400 ships passing through — including 229 returning vessels last month alone.

To keep the momentum going, SCA Chairman Admiral Ossama Rabiee met with representatives from 20 major shipping companies to discuss the latest developments in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb. His message? “We’re open — and ready to welcome you back.” ?

Among the highlights:

- CMA CGM has begun trial voyages with 17,000+ TEU ships and plans to increase traffic through the canal.

- MSC expects a swift return of southbound vessels soon.

- Evergreen and COSCO both confirmed readiness to resume full operations once conditions stabilize.

However, as Inchcape Shipping Agency noted, high marine insurance costs remain a key obstacle delaying some carriers’ return.

Still, optimism is rising — and the Suez Canal appears ready to reclaim its role as a vital artery for global trade.

After nearly five days of disruption at Europe’s largest container port, hundreds of striking lashers in Rotterdam have agreed to temporarily suspend their strike starting Monday morning to allow wage negotiations with employers to resume. The decision follows a court hearing, where the FNV union and port company representatives agreed to meet again on Sunday to continue discussions.

The strike, which began last Wednesday, had brought container operations to a halt, with around 700 workers stopping work entirely — leading to a backlog of vessels waiting to be handled. Both sides have now agreed that port operations will resume from 07:00 on Monday through Friday. If no deal is reached by the end of the week, the strike may resume. Employers, already facing heavy operational losses, have reportedly sought legal intervention should the talks fail.

The situation in Rotterdam highlights the growing tension in Europe’s port logistics sector, where rising inflation and competition between terminal operators are fueling stronger union demands for better wages and working conditions.

For logistics companies, the disruption has already led to higher charter and demurrage costs, while shipping lines face potential schedule delays across major Northern European hubs.

FNV (Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging) — the largest trade union federation in the Netherlands, founded in 1976. It represents over 1 million workers across various industries, including manufacturing, transport, and maritime logistics.