China Dominates Global Ship Orders in July, South Korea Holds 16% Share

by Lee nakyeong Posted : August 12, 2026, 14:48Updated : August 12, 2026, 14:48

Global ship orders in July saw a significant decline of over 50% compared to the previous month, with China capturing more than 80% of the total orders. South Korea, focusing on selective orders for high-value vessels, recorded a 16% market share.


According to Clarkson Research, a UK-based maritime market analysis firm, the total global ship orders in July amounted to 3.57 million CGT (137 vessels), a 56% decrease from 8.03 million CGT in June and a 22% drop from 4.55 million CGT in the same month last year.


By country, China secured 2.9 million CGT (111 vessels), accounting for 81% of the total, while South Korea obtained 570,000 CGT (21 vessels), achieving a 16% market share.


In terms of cumulative orders for the year, China continued to show strength. From January to July, global cumulative orders reached 50.93 million CGT (1,778 vessels), a 65% increase from 30.95 million CGT (1,296 vessels) during the same period last year.


Of this, China received 38.02 million CGT (1,394 vessels), holding a 75% market share, which is a 107% increase compared to the previous year. South Korea secured 8.7 million CGT (218 vessels), representing a 17% market share and a 61% increase from the previous year.


The order backlog also continued to rise. As of the end of July, the global order backlog stood at 211.75 million CGT, an increase of 2.32 million CGT from the previous month. Among this, China accounted for 140.22 million CGT, or 66% of the total, while South Korea recorded 38.23 million CGT, representing 18%.


Compared to the previous month, South Korea's order backlog decreased by 480,000 CGT, while China saw an increase of 3.61 million CGT. Year-on-year, South Korea's backlog increased by 3.03 million CGT, while China's rose by 34.64 million CGT.


Ship prices also continued to rise. At the end of July, Clarkson's newbuilding price index recorded 185.49, up 0.34 points from June's 185.15. This marks a 29% increase compared to July 2021, when the index was at 143.95.


By vessel type, the newbuilding prices were $248.5 million for LNG carriers, $130.5 million for very large crude carriers (VLCCs), and $259.5 million for ultra-large container ships in the 22,000 to 24,000 TEU range.





* This article has been translated by AI.