Global Shipyard Orderbook Rises 13% as China Faces Record Delivery Challenge
Summary The global shipyard orderbook reached 203.2 million compensated gross tonnes at the start of September 2026, up 13% year on year. Chinese yards hold 64% of outstanding work, but their scheduled deliveries require…
The global shipyard orderbook reached 203.2 million compensated gross tonnes at the start of September 2026, up 13% year on year. Chinese yards hold 64% of outstanding work, but their scheduled deliveries require a substantial production increase, raising questions about execution capacity and the longer-term risk of surplus shipbuilding capacity.
The global shipyard orderbook stood at an estimated 203.2 million compensated gross tonnes, or CGT, on 1 September 2026, compared with 180 million CGT a year earlier, according to BIMCO.
The figures point to a substantial pipeline of contracted construction work. They measure orders awaiting delivery, rather than ships already completed or new contracts signed during September.
The orderbook remains below its May peak of 210.4 million CGT, although it exceeds the previous 2008 record of 195.4 million CGT.
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