The container shipbuilding market has seen another major order, with a Taiwanese shipowner placing an order for six container ships with shipyards under China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), at a total cost of over US$550 million.
On March 10, according to documents submitted by Taiwan-based container shipping company Wan Hai Lines to the Taiwan Stock Exchange, the carrier has finalized two newbuild orders with two subsidiaries of CSSC: two 9,200 TEU methanol dual-fuel container ships from Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, and four 6,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel reserve container vessels from Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding.
Specifically, Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding’s single-ship construction cost is between US$102 million and US$112 million, with a total order value between US$204 million and US$224 million; Huangpu Wenchong’s single-ship construction cost is between US$75.2 million and US$82 million, with a total order value between US$300 million and US$328 million.
The aforementioned six new vessels represent Wan Hai Lines’ first shipbuilding contracts for 2026, continuing the order for six 6,000 TEU container ships announced by the shipowner in December 2025. The six 6,000 TEU vessels will also be constructed by Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding, with each ship costing between US$75.2 million and US$82 million. They are scheduled for delivery by 2030 and will primarily serve regional and intra-Asia routes.
Notably, in addition to ordering six new vessels, Wan Hai Lines announced on the same day that it would sell three 5,600 TEU container ships, each priced at no less than US$33 million, totaling at least US$99 million.
As a leading global liner shipping company, Wan Hai Lines has been continuously renewing and expanding its owned fleet in recent years. This new contract will further bolster its substantial order backlog. Wan Hai Lines currently holds orders for 40 new vessels at multiple shipyards in China, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan.