According to the latest data from shipping consultancy Alphaliner, the total volume of global container ship orders is approaching 13 million TEU, amounting to 12.98 million TEU across 1,592 vessels—equivalent to 38.3% of the active fleet’s capacity. At the same time, liner shipping companies are gradually shifting their focus in shipbuilding from ultra-large container ships to small and medium-sized container ships.
In recent years, a record-breaking surge in new orders has pushed the volume of container ship orders on hand at global shipyards to historic highs, but the mix of vessel types in newly signed orders has undergone a significant shift.
According to Alphaliner data, since July 2025, orders for new vessels under 6,500 TEU have accounted for approximately 74% of total container ship orders; in the preceding 12 months, that proportion was less than 30%. This shift stems from a post-pandemic surge in newbuilding orders, during which New Panamax and Post-Panamax container ships dominated the market as liner owners sought to achieve economies of scale and compete for market share on major East-West routes.
At present, liner owners are gradually shifting their focus to the regional and feeder vessel markets, where aging fleets and growing cargo volumes are driving demand for new capacity. This trend is evident across multiple container ship types.
Alphaliner notes that order activity for 1,200-TEU feeder container ships and 1,800-TEU Bangkokmax container ships has been very brisk; in the past year alone, nearly 150 orders were placed for 1,800-TEU Bangkokmax container ships; new orders for 3,100-TEU-class container ships exceeded 100; vessel types in the 5,000–6,500-TEU range are also in high demand among shipowners.
The agency forecasts that the ordering boom for small- and medium-sized container ships will continue into 2026. In the first half of this year, orders were placed for 329 new vessels with a total capacity of 1.89 million TEU, and no orders for mainline container ships of 16,000 TEU or larger are expected in the second quarter of this year—a situation that has not occurred since early 2024.
However, Alphaliner notes that due to the large number of orders placed for ultra-large container ships in 2023 and 2024, the capacity structure of the order book remains skewed toward large vessels. Once these vessels are delivered, the capacity of the 18,000+ TEU class will nearly double compared to current levels.
In the market for small and medium-sized container ships, Alphaliner believes that the volume of newbuilding orders still falls short of fleet renewal needs. Currently, orders for vessels under 6,500 TEU are insufficient to replace the capacity of ships that will soon reach 25 years of age, indicating that there will likely be more orders for feeder and regional container ships in the coming years.
