Alphaliner analysts have recorded a record order book for new container ships—over 10 million TEU. Three East Asian countries remain the leaders in shipbuilding, with China dominating with orders of 7.36 million TEU, accounting for 73.7% of the total.
The sharp rise of Chinese shipyards is particularly noticeable against the backdrop of changes in the global fleet structure. Previously, 50.1% of container ships (16.4 million TEU) were built in South Korea, and 29.4% (9.6 million TEU) in China. Now, the balance has shifted in favor of China. South Korea holds second place with a backlog of 2.04 million TEU (20.4%), and Japan ranks third with 0.43 million TEU (4.3%).
Outside the Asian trio, activity is minimal: there are only 29 vessels on order worldwide – 16 in Taiwan, 4 in Turkey and 3 in the US, underlining East Asia’s undisputed dominance in the container shipbuilding sector.