COSCO Orders 87 Ships in Record Chinese Deal

China’s state-owned shipping giant COSCO, currently the world’s largest shipowner, has confirmed an enormous order for 87 new vessels from shipyards operated by China State Shipbuilding Corp (CSSC). This contract is the largest single domestic shipbuilding order ever placed in China.

Valued at more than RMB50bn (approximately $7.07bn), the order covers a wide mix of containerships, bulk carriers, tankers and multipurpose vessels. Construction will be carried out across several of CSSC’s major shipyards, including Jiangnan Shipyard, Guangzhou Shipyard International, Wuchang Shipbuilding, Dalian Shipbuilding, Beihai Shipbuilding and Chengxi Shipyard.

Industry sources in China report that the order book includes contributions from multiple COSCO subsidiaries, such as COSCO Shipping Lines, COSCO Shipping Bulk, COSCO Shipping Energy, COSCO Shipping Development and COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers.

The newly ordered vessels are expected to incorporate advanced energy-saving designs, alternative-fuel-ready systems and integrated digital or AI-enabled technologies. These features align with the IMO’s decarbonisation goals and support China’s broader strategy to modernise its fleet and secure long-term supply chain stability.

This latest order builds on COSCO’s expansion strategy announced last year, which already included a range of newbuilding contracts across several Chinese yards. That pace has only increased in the current year. COSCO recently advanced a $1.75bn programme to construct 29 ships across various segments, and it has also committed to additional newcastlemax bulk carriers. Together, these moves reinforce COSCO’s position as the most active investor in China’s large bulker market heading into 2026.