In 2025, Chinese shipbuilders continued to dominate the newbuild container ship market with a 72% market share. Zhoushan Changhong International emerged as the shipbuilder with the largest order intake for container vessels that year, securing 46 vessels totaling 527,800 TEU.
Market share of 72%: Chinese shipyards dominate the container vessel market
According to data released by Clarkson a few days ago, global new shipbuilding orders total 56.43 million compensated gross tons (CGT, 2,036 vessels) in 2025, a decrease of approximately 27% compared to the same period last year (76.78 million CGTs, 3,235 vessels), indicating that the new shipbuilding market is in a relatively sluggish state. However, against the backdrop of an overall decline in new shipbuilding orders, container vessels have become the undisputed mainstay of orders in 2025.
Driven by carbon emission regulations, market demand for environmentally friendly vessels has surged, fueling a boom in the newbuild container vessel market. In 2025, global shipowners placed orders for 644 container vessels, with total capacity reaching 4.759 million TEU—a historic record.
By country, in 2025, Chinese shipbuilders secured orders for 518 container vessels totaling 3.446 million TEU, achieving a market share of approximately 72%, further solidifying their position as the world’s number one shipbuilder and effectively controlling the container vessel market. South Korean shipbuilders, on the other hand, secured orders for only 105 container vessels totaling 1.247 million TEU, representing a market share of only about 26%. The remaining approximately 2% of the container vessel market share was divided among shipyards from other countries/regions, such as Japan.
46 Vessels/527,800 TEU: Changhong International Shipyard (Zhoushan) Claims Top Spot as the World’s Largest Single Shipbuilder
By individual shipbuilder, in 2025, Changhong International Shipyard surpassed HD Hyundai Heavy Industries to become the world’s top container vessel order recipient with 46 vessels totaling 527,800 TEU. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries ranked second with 49 vessels totaling 502,600 TEU. Hanwha Ocean placed third with 17 vessels totaling 307,200 TEU.
Specifically, Changhong International secured a large number of LNG dual-fuel container vessels by 2025. According to incomplete statistics, this includes 18+2 large container vessels for TMS Group, owned by Greek shipping magnate George Economou; 6+4 ultra-large container vessels for Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC); and multiple new ship orders in the feeder container vessel sector. Currently, Changhong International Shipyard is MSC’s largest shipbuilding partner globally.
As a leading private shipyard in China, Changhong International has established three major shipbuilding industrial bases in Dinghai District, Putuo District, and Daishan County of Zhoushan City: Zhoushan Changhong International Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (headquarters), Zhoushan Putuo Changhong Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., and Zhoushan Zhongji Changhong Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. This makes it the only large shipbuilding enterprise in the entire industry chain integrating shipbuilding, ship repair, ship dismantling, and metal resource utilization.
Changhong International’s three major bases represent a total investment exceeding RMB 10 billion (approximately US$1.433 billion), covering an area of over 6.5 million square meters with a combined shoreline exceeding 20,000 meters. The facilities possess an annual shipbuilding capacity surpassing 5 million deadweight tons and an annual ship repair capacity exceeding 500 vessels. In recent years, Changhong International has added multiple gantry cranes, including 1000T and 1300T models, aimed at further enhancing shipbuilding capabilities and accelerating the fulfillment of existing orders.
According to data released by Changhong International, in 2025, the company achieved numerous breakthroughs in high-end shipbuilding, with 127 new ships on order backlog and an order value exceeding RMB 100 billion; the annual production milestones increased by 52% year-on-year; the green ship repair business expanded rapidly, environmental protection processes were comprehensively upgraded, and the ship repair business remained among the top three in the world; production efficiency continued to improve, with many key indicators reaching record highs; and safety production management reached a new level.
Notably, China’s newly emerging private-sector shipbuilding leader, Hengli Heavy Industries, also delivered remarkable performance in 2025: securing 115 new ship orders throughout the year with a total order value exceeding RMB 100 billion, emerging as the year’s biggest dark horse.
In the container ship market, Hengli Heavy Industries ranked fourth with orders totaling 28 vessels/278,700 TEU. Notably, the company’s market competitiveness was demonstrated by securing an order for eight 22,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessels from MSC.
Regarding the outstanding performance of Chinese shipbuilders, a South Korean shipbuilding industry insider noted: “Leveraging substantial financial strength and domestic market support, these shipbuilders are not only rapidly encroaching on the mid-to-low-end market but are also accelerating their entry into the eco-friendly, high-value-added vessel sector. For South Korea’s shipbuilding industry to survive, it must not only master cutting-edge technologies but also expedite its transition toward the market for intelligent autonomous vessels.”