The global container ship orderbook is nearing 13 Mteu as owners increasingly turn towards smaller and mid-sized tonnage, according to Alphaliner.
The global container ship orderbook is nearing the 13 Mteu mark, standing at 12.98 Mteu for 1,592 units. This is equivalent to 38.3% of the cellular fleet currently in service. While jumbo ship deals boosted the orderbook in 2024, the years 2025 and 2026 have seen interest move towards mid-sized tonnage.
This shift has been building since 2025, a record year for contracting that grew the global orderbook by almost one third. No fewer than 737 containerships, or 5.05 Mteu, were ordered over the year, with the final two quarters setting alltime highs of 218 units (1.34 Mteu) and 265 units (1.57 Mteu) respectively.
The rally has continued into 2026. With a few days remaining, the first half of the year has added a further 329 ships (1.89 Mteu), with the first quarter alone setting the highest Q1 order count ever, even surpassing Q1 2021 (177 units).
Despite the high number of ships, less capacity was added in teu terms, illustrating a clear shift in the ‘profile’ of vessels ordered since the second half of last year.
Since July 2025, 74% of orders were for ships of less than 6,500 teu. This compares with less than 30% in the corresponding period a year earlier (Q3 2024 to Q2 2025).
Orders placed during the post-pandemic wave and in early 2024 focused primarily on large and ultra-large ships. This was driven by the carriers’ fight for market share, as well as their pursuit of economies of scale on mainlines.
Carriers later identified that pressure on the smaller ship segment was building.
Source: Alphaliner
