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Container Orderbook Set to Breach 16M TEU as Majors Lock in Capacity

The global containership newbuilding orderbook is poised to reach nearly 16 million teu by year-end. Major carriers including Maersk, Yang Ming, CMA CGM and MSC are driving growth through anticipated orders, according to Alphaliner analysis. Maersk is negotiating exclusively with Chinese shipyards for 12 vessels of 24,000 teu capacity, potentially with options for a second series of identical tonnage, each priced around $240 million. The anticipated 40 additional megamax contracts would push the orderbook close to the 16m teu threshold. The current global fleet totals 34 million teu, meaning the existing orderbook already represents 45 percent of the current fleet. Year-to-date orders have reached 9 million teu. If confirmed additional orders materialize, 2026 annual volume could exceed 5.5 million teu, marking a record year.