New orders in the shipbuilding industry, especially in the tanker sector, have set new records. From January to September 2026, 267 oil tankers with a capacity of 67 million DWT have been ordered, showing a growth of 267.7 percent compared to the previous year. Of these, 172 units were of the VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier) type. Additionally, during the same period, 83 LNG ships with a capacity of 13.12 million CBM were ordered, a significant increase compared to 35 units with a capacity of 2.94 million CBM last year.
Price Stabilization in the Shipbuilding Industry
According to the information obtained, the construction prices of tankers and cargo ships are generally stable, while the prices of large container ships and LNG have slightly decreased. In September 2026, the price of a VLCC reached $131 million (with a growth of 7.4 percent compared to last year) and the price of a Capesize ship reached $79 million (with a growth of 3.9 percent). In contrast, the price of a container ship with a capacity of 20,000 TEU has decreased to $210.4 million.
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Status and Capacity of Orders
Based on available statistics, the current status of ship orders is good. For cargo ships with a capacity of over 20,000 DWT, 1,449 units with a capacity of 145.3 million DWT are awaiting construction, which constitutes 14.2 percent of the commercial fleet. Additionally, 574 oil tankers with a capacity of 60,000 DWT and above are being ordered with a capacity of 135.4 million DWT, making up 29.3 percent of the tanker fleet. For container ships, 1,641 units with a capacity of 14.6 million TEU are under construction, equivalent to 43.5 percent of the container fleet.
In the past week, new activities in this industry have significantly increased, with substantial orders placed in various sectors including cargo ships, container ships, tankers, and gas ships. For example, COSCO Shipping Bulk has arranged a large program to procure 16 cargo ships of 87,000 DWT in Fujian Mawei, each costing about $49.5 million. These ships will be delivered between March 2029 and September 2035. Additionally, HMM has recently ordered 7 container ships of 13,000 TEU at Hyundai Samho for $180.1 million each.
In the tanker sector, Nanjing Tanker has ordered four LR2 tankers with a capacity of 115,000 DWT from Dalian Shipbuilding Industry, with delivery expected between February 2029 and July 2030. Furthermore, BGN International has ordered four LPG ships with a capacity of 93,000 cubic meters from Hyundai, with each priced at approximately $118 million.
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