Shipper to order 9 container vessels made in China

Chinese shipbuilders are outperforming their South Korean rivals in constructing high-end mega-containerships after further sharpening their manufacturing edge and grasping a larger share of the global market.

Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co confirmed on Tuesday that the company and Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co, another Shanghai-based shipyard, together have received a letter of intent from the French group CMACGM SA for nine vessels capable of transporting 22,000 twenty-foot-equivalent-unit containers - the largest carrying capacity in the world.

However, the final order is subject to board approval from both sides.