In honour of Lunar New Year, we have updated our analysis of the Chinese newbuilding orderbook, examining how the top buyers and vessels orders evolved in 2025. Using VesselsValue data, we rank the top 10 Chinese ordering companies — where state-owned COSCO claims four spots within the top five across its multiple subsidiaries — and highlight the vessel types proving most popular at Chinese yards.
China’s state owned COSCO — across its multiple subsidiaries — dominates the 2025 Chinese orderbook leaderboard, securing four slots within the top five orderers.
The value of the Cosco Shipping Bulk orderbook is an impressive USD 3.2 bil, which puts the company at the top of the list in terms of spending; however, this part of the company ranks second in terms of orders with 42 Capesize Bulkers — all within the Newcastlemax range of around 210,000 DWT.
COSCO Shipping Development ranks second by value of USD 2.6 bil and first place by vessels numbers with 43 contracts placed. This investment includes 23 Kamsarmax and 10 Newcastlemax Bulkers, six VLCCs, and four Small Dirty Tankers.
In third place is COSCO Bulk Carrier who splashed out USD 1.5 bil at Chinese yards last year on 30 vessels. The en bloc order, placed in June 2025 for 80,000 DWT Panamax Bulkers, is scheduled to be built at Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding and set for delivery between 2026-2029. Each vessel is contracted for USD 50 mil each, VV value USD 49.5 mil each.
Shandong Shipping Corporation ranks fourth, spending USD 1.4 bil on 14 Bulkers. In June 2025, the organisation placed an en bloc order for two Post Panamax Bulkers of 95,500 DWT — plus an option for two further vessels, which are scheduled to be built at Hengli Shipbuilding and delivered between 2027-2029. The vessels are contracted at USD 36.8 mil each, VV value USD 41 mil each. A further order was placed for 10 Ore Carriers of 325,000 DWT at Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding and slated for delivery between 2027-2029, contracted for USD 130 mil each, VV value USD133.69 mil each. These vessels are being built with dual fuel methanol specifications and have entered into long-term timecharter agreements with Brazilian Iron ore major, Vale.
COSCO Shipping Energy Transportation are in the fifth position, having ordered USD 1 bil worth of vessels last year. The investment consists of 20 vessels, predominantly in the MR2 Tanker sector but also includes Aframax, LR1 and LR2 Tankers, and one LPG vessel in the LEG category.
Containers were the most popular vessel type ordered at Chinese yards in 2025, moving up from third place to the top spot this year, with 526 new vessels ordered, valued at USD 45 bil. Container values remain at very high levels but have fallen from the record highs of 2024, making them a more attractive investment opportunity. Over the course of 2025, newbuilding values for this sector fell across most size categories, with Post Panamax Containers of 7,900 TEU falling by c.10.35% from USD 132.51 mil to USD 118.79 mil.
Bulkers rank second at Chinese yards and 371 orders were placed in 2025, valued at USD 19 bil. Thanks to strong market sentiment throughout 2025, newbuilding values for Capesizes of 180,000 DWT increased by c.11.13% year-on-year from USD 67.41 mil to USD 74.91 mil — around the highest levels since mid-2008.
Tankers have fallen from the top spot at Chinese yards in 2024 to rank third in 2025 with 276 orders placed, valued at USD 16 bil. The Small Dry sector is in fourth place with 66 orders and a spend of USD 2 bil; meanwhile, the LNG sector ranks fifth with 27 new orders valued at USD 4 bil.
The 2025 orderbook highlights China’s continued influence across the global shipping landscape, with state-backed enterprises committing billions to newbuilding programmes across a broad range of vessel types.
The shift from Tankers to Containers at the top of the vessel type rankings reflects evolving market dynamics, while sustained demand for Bulkers, particularly at the larger end of the spectrum, highlights continued confidence in long-haul Bulker commodity trades. With Chinese yards maintaining their competitive edge on pricing and capacity, the country’s role as both the world’s leading shipbuilder and an increasingly dominant shipowning nation looks set to strengthen further in the years ahead.
