Despite trade policy uncertainties and declining freight rates, the global container ship order book has expanded significantly, now totaling over 1,350 ships with a capacity of 11.8 million TEU, according to Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO. In 2025, average container freight rates fell by 13% year-on-year, yet global container volumes still increased by 4.7%. Shipowners ordered a record 4.8 million TEU of new capacity, reflecting ongoing demand.
In early 2026, an additional 102 ships were ordered, adding 665,000 TEU to the order book, which has risen by 28% year-on-year. The trend favors larger vessels, with 436 ships of 12,000 TEU or more making up 65% of the total capacity on order. Interestingly, smaller ship segments (0-3k TEU, 3-6k TEU, and 6-8k TEU) have seen their order books double, although they currently represent only 16% of their fleet capacity.
As the number of large ships increases, the ownership structure is also changing. Non-operating owners have seen their share of fleet capacity decline from 43% to 36%. With 11.8 million TEU scheduled for delivery between 2025 and 2029, the fleet may grow by an average of 6.1% annually, potentially complicating supply and demand dynamics for liner operators.
