Chinese shipyard Hengli Petrochemical Co Ltd led global container ship orders in July, increasing its share of the global shipyard order book to 6.4%, up from 5.6% in June, according to data from Bank of America. The company captured 7.9% of container ship orders in July, rising from 5.7% at the start of 2026.
Global new vessel orders totaled 3.6 million compensated gross tons in July, a 22% decrease compared with the same period last year. Year-to-date orders reached 50.9 million compensated gross tons, representing 87% of the full-year 2025 volume. Chinese shipyards secured 81% of July's orders, with new orders in the first seven months of 2026 already exceeding the full-year 2025 total.
Container ship orders for vessels with a capacity of 8,000 TEU or more rose 3% year-on-year in July. Tanker orders increased 25% year-on-year, while bulk carrier orders declined 30% over the same period. The global order book expanded 11% in volume and 13% in value year-on-year.
New construction prices in August remained 2% below the 2024 peak and were effectively flat year-on-year. China's new construction price index rose 3% year-on-year in July, while shipyard future coverage extended to 4.28 years in August, up from 4.26 years in July.
Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Group announced plans to expand capacity, reflecting the ongoing consolidation in China's shipbuilding sector. Between January and mid-August 2026, Hengli secured approximately 199 vessel orders, including 31 new ships ordered from July to mid-August.
