New ships have been delivered to owners in Denmark and Japan while two Chinese operators have placed orders with three local yards. Another recent transaction saw the change in the ownership of a vessel still under construction.
China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES) has placed an order for four new 3,000 TEU container vessels. The company announced on January 21, 2026, that its wholly owned subsidiaries will enter into shipbuilding agreements with subsidiaries of China Merchants Industry Group (CMI) for the construction of the conventional-fuel ships.
The total project investment is expected not to exceed CNY1.324 billion ($185.4 million), according to the company. The vessels, which will be equipped with exhaust gas scrubbers, are scheduled for delivery in 2027 or 2028.
CMES stated the investment is necessary to, "further optimise the capacity structure of the company’s container fleet, improve route deployment, and enhance the market competitiveness of its container shipping business".
COSCO Shipping Holdings has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, COSCO Asset Management, entered into shipbuilding contracts on January 13, 2026 for the construction of 12 vessels. The contracts were signed with Jiangnan Shipyard and China Shipbuilding Trading for a consideration of approximately CNY1.4 billion ($193.9 million) per vessel.
The aggregate consideration for all 12 vessels is CNY16.8 billion. The group plans to obtain external financing for up to 60 per cent of the contract price for each vessel, with the remaining 40 per cent funded by internal resources.
Payments will be made in cash across six instalments based on construction progress. 50 per cent of the price is to be paid across the first five instalments, while the final 50 per cent is due upon delivery.
Danish shipping company A.P. Moller Maersk has formally named the newest container vessel to join its fleet.
Barcelona Mærsk is the sixth and final ship in a series of dual-fuel container vessels ordered by Maersk from HD Hyundai Heavy Industries of South Korea. Berlin Mærsk, the first ship in the series, was handed over in 2024.
The newbuild has a length of 350 metres, a beam of 53.5 metres, a draught of 18 metres, a capacity of 17,480 TEUs, and accommodation for 30 crewmembers.
Hong Kong-listed LC Logistics announced on December 30, 2025 that its subsidiary, Lehang Boundless, entered an agreement with Blue Anchor. Under the agreement, Lehang Boundless will novate all rights and obligations for a vessel to Blue Anchor.
The vessel is a large container ship with a capacity of 14,000 TEU, identified as hull number H2872. It is currently under construction, and the unaudited net book value as of December 9, 2025, is $43.44 million.
Blue Anchor will pay a total consideration of $170 million for the transaction. From this amount, $68.64 million is payable to Lehang Boundless, while $101.36 million will be paid directly to the shipyards.
The Imabari Shipbuilding Group delivered the 13,900 TEU containership ONE Serenity to container line Ocean Network Express (ONE) on December 19, 2025.
The ship measures 335.94 metres in length and 51 metres in width and has a gross tonnage of 140,233. It is powered by a MAN 7G95ME-C10.6 main engine, achieving a service speed of approximately 22 knots. ONE Serenity is flagged in Liberia and classed by Lloyd’s Register.
The vessel has a container loading capacity of 13,932 TEU and features up to four lashing bridges on the deck to facilitate cargo operations. The ship is designed to transport frozen containers in both the holds and on deck.
