Why 25-year-old container ships are still commanding remarkable rates

The commercial value of ageing container ships is drawing renewed attention as recent charter agreements and second-hand vessel transactions demonstrate that ships approaching their third decade of service can still attract substantial financial commitments.

According to the October 2026 edition of DynaLiners Monthly, several containerships built more than two decades ago have secured employment at significant daily rates, including contracts extending over multiple years. These fixtures, alongside recent transactions involving Euroseas, highlight how the economic value of older vessels can remain substantial despite their age.

The developments raise an important question for container shipowners: when does continued employment become more attractive than selling an ageing vessel, particularly as new capacity continues to enter the global fleet?

A particularly revealing example is the EM Corfu, a 2,556 TEU feeder containership built in 2001 and owned by Euroseas.

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