Yang Ming bets on dry bulk growth with $150m order for four supramaxes

TAIWANESE carrier Yang Ming’s bulk shipping arm, Kuang Ming Shipping, has placed orders for four bulk carriers, with a total contract value of NT4.9bn-NT5.4bn ($150m-$165m), underscoring the carrier’s longer-term confidence in dry bulk shipping demand.

The orders comprise two supramaxes at Nihon Shipyard and Imabari Shipbuilding, priced at NT1.2bn-NT1.4bn apiece, and two supramaxes ordered from Oshima Shipbuilding and Sumisho Marine, at NT1.2bn-NT1.4bn each, according to a filing by Yang Ming to the exchange. Delivery schedules were not disclosed.

Kuang Ming operates a fleet of six panamaxes and four supramaxes, alongside a long-term chartered capesize. Yang Ming has previously noted that Kuang Ming Shipping’s young, fuel-efficient fleet supports its competitiveness.

The new orders reflect the company’s long-term view that global dry bulk trade will continue to grow steadily, while also renewing the fleet to enhance fuel efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and provide flexibility in meeting the International Maritime Organization’s increasingly stringent decarbonisation regulations.

At a briefing on Tuesday, Yang Ming stated that recent shipping volumes have been affected by the Lunar New Year, with pre-holiday stocking boosting shipments, resulting in a minor peak season. Overall, despite these seasonal challenges, the company remains cautiously optimistic about market conditions for the first quarter of 2026, while noting that full-year demand remains uncertain.

Yang Ming also provided an update on the Red Sea route, in which it said members of the Premier Alliance were continuing to plan and prepare, noting that any resumption would require careful consideration of crew safety, cargo security, and vessel safety, alongside fleet scheduling. As such, a return to the route in the first quarter of 2026 was still some way off.

According to the latest data from Alphaliner, Yang Ming ranks ninth globally among container carriers, operating 99 vessels with total capacity of 716,000 teu, alongside an orderbook of 18 newbuildings totaling 236,660 teu.