Asia-Europe & Transpacific Freight Rates Surge for 9th Straight Week
According to the latest statistics from Alphaliner, the total number of global container ship orders held has reached 12.98 million TEU, with a total of 1,592 ships, accounting for approximately 38.3% of the existing fleet capacity, setting a record high. The continued increase in the scale of this order reflects the liner company's in-depth adjustments in fleet structure optimization and strategic layout.
Judging from annual new orders, global new orders for container ships will reach 737 in 2025, totaling 5.05 million TEU, driving a nearly one-third year-on-year increase in orders on hand. Among them, 218 and 265 ships were added in the third and fourth quarters respectively. Entering 2026, there were 329 new orders (approximately 1.89 million TEU) in the first half of the year. However, it is worth noting that there are no new orders for large ships exceeding 16,000 TEU in the second quarter. This is the first time since the beginning of 2024.
Alphaliner analysis pointed out that despite the substantial growth in the number of new ships, the growth in total capacity (TEU) has relatively slowed down, indicating that the focus of liner companies is gradually shifting from ultra-large ships to small and medium-sized container ships. Since July 2025, approximately 74% of new orders have been for ships below 6,500TEU, compared with less than 30% in the same period last year.
This trend is closely related to the multiple pressures faced by the small and medium-sized container ship market. On the one hand, the aging problem of small and medium-sized fleets is becoming increasingly prominent, and there is an urgent need for renewal; on the other hand, regional trade and secondary market demand remain strong, but there are very few new orders below 1,000TEU. At present, 1200TEU, 1800TEU "Bangkokmax" type, 3100TEU and 5000 to 6500TEU ship types are becoming the mainstream choices in feeder and regional trade.
Despite this, the dominance of large ships in total shipping capacity has not yet been shaken. Alphaliner pointed out that the accumulated orders for large container ships in 2023 and 2024 are still huge, and "New Panamax" and ultra-large "Megamax" ships of more than 18,000 TEU still occupy the main share. Capacity in this segment is expected to nearly double over the next three years, further exacerbating the risk of overcapacity. At the same time, the order volume for ships below 6,500TEU is still insufficient to meet the demand for renewal, indicating that there is still room for growth in orders for small and medium-sized ships in the next few years.
Judging from the orders held by various shipping companies, as of June 25, 2026, the global container ship fleet reached 7,554 ships, with a total transport capacity of 34.317 million TEU. Among them, Mediterranean Shipping Company holds orders for 134 ships (2.193 million TEU), accounting for 29.9% of its existing capacity; CMA CGM has 159 ships (1.782 million TEU), accounting for 40.8%; Maersk has 88 ships (1.181 million TEU), accounting for 25.0%; Hapag-Lloyd has 63 ships (507,000 TEU), accounting for 21.3%; ONE has orders for 52 ships (636,000 TEU), accounting for 29.4%.
Judging from the ratio of orders to existing fleet capacity, some regional liner companies are expanding more aggressively. Thailand's Honghai Container Shipping has 19 orders on hand (approximately 131,000 TEU), equivalent to 131.4% of its current fleet capacity; Dexiang Shipping has 17 ships (approximately 102,000 TEU), accounting for 94.4%; Wanhai Shipping and PIL's orders on hand have also reached 69.4% and 71.2% respectively, indicating that these companies are significantly expanding their fleets.
It is worth noting that Evergreen Shipping’s shipping capacity has exceeded 2 million TEU. Alphaliner data shows that Evergreen Shipping currently ranks seventh in the global liner shipping capacity rankings, operating 241 ships (167 owned, 74 chartered), with a total shipping capacity of approximately 2.006 million TEU, and holds orders for 77 new ships (approximately 885,000 TEU)