On June 23, Shanghai Jinjiang Shipping (Group) issued an announcement regarding the progress of its investment in the construction of container ships. According to the announcement, Moon Keung Shipping—a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jinjiang Shipping—and its wholly-owned single-vessel company have signed option contracts with Jiangsu New Yangzi Shipbuilding and Jiangsu Yangzi Hongyuan Shipbuilding for the construction of four 1,800-TEU container ships. The total contract value is 820 million yuan (approximately $121 million), and the vessels are expected to be delivered in stages starting in May 2029.
On December 26, 2025, Jinjiang Shipping announced plans to invest no more than 1.94 billion yuan (approximately $285 million) to order 4+4 1,800-TEU container ships. The option contract for the four vessels signed on this occasion represents the optional vessels under this order. The construction contracts for the first four vessels were signed in the first quarter of 2026, with a total value of 820 million yuan. With this, all eight 1,800-TEU container ships ordered by Jinjiang Shipping have become firm, representing a total investment of 1.64 billion yuan (approximately $241 million).
Jinjiang Shipping stated that this new batch of vessels will expand its fleet size, meet the demand for route expansion in Southeast Asia, and optimize the capacity structure of its Southeast Asian services. These vessels will provide the necessary capacity to enrich the “Silk Road Express” series of premium routes and further support the company in replicating its premium service model across the region. Additionally, they will facilitate the upgrading of service links between Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia, offering customers a wider range of route options while enhancing the quality and efficiency of route operations.
Both New Yangzi Shipbuilding and Yangzi Hongyuan Shipbuilding, which signed the option-to-build contracts, are shipyards under the privately-owned Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group. Among them, Yangzi Hongyuan Shipbuilding is a new shipbuilding base that Yangzijiang Shipbuilding is vigorously promoting; the 1,800 ton large shipbuilding gantry crane built for this base has recently completed testing and is about to be fully delivered. Yangzi Hongyuan Shipbuilding has already scheduled production for its first batch of new ship orders.
Currently, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding operates a total of six shipyards. Yangzi Hongyuan Shipbuilding and Yangzi Hongda Ship Repair & Construction were established in 2024 and 2026, respectively, and are considered new shipyards; The remaining four are New Yangzi Shipbuilding, Yangzi Xinfu Shipbuilding, Yangzi-Mitsui Shipbuilding, and Zhoushan Tsuneishi Shipbuilding, which completed its capital injection in March 2025.
Founded in 1983, Jinjiang Shipping is a comprehensive shipping company primarily engaged in international and domestic maritime container transport. For many years, it has consistently focused on routes in Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, and within China.
Moon Keung Shipping, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jinjiang Shipping, was established in 1987. Its core business is the maritime transport of containerized cargo, and its market coverage includes mainland China, Hong Kong, South Korea, other Asian countries, Southeast Asia, Taiwan, and Western Europe.