MSC orders 20 giant 24,000-TEU ships, lifting orderbook to 46.5% of fleet

· Logistics · Switzerland · China

MSC has ordered 20 container ships of 24,000 TEU each from its shipyard partner Hengli Heavy, according to the Journal of Commerce. The order has pushed the global backlog of new container vessels to the equivalent of 46.5% of the existing fleet, the highest level since 2009, according to Linerlytica. The scale of the order underscores the largest carriers' appetite for very large ships despite concerns about overcapacity. The elevated orderbook is the key supply-side variable for container shipping: as these vessels are delivered, capacity on major trade lanes could rise substantially, affecting freight rates and how older tonnage is deployed or scrapped.

Why it matters：A record orderbook relative to the existing fleet signals future capacity additions that could pressure freight rates and reshape fleet deployment across major trade lanes.

Key points

  • The ships are 24,000 TEU each, among the largest container vessel classes.
  • Hengli Heavy is described as MSC's shipyard partner.
  • The orderbook is at its highest level since 2009, per Linerlytica.

Sources (original reporting)

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