The global shipyard orderbook expanded by 13% year on year to an estimated 203.2 million Compensated Gross Tonnage, MarineLink reported on 22 October 2026.
BIMCO provided the central figures for the item. Niels Rasmussen, BIMCO’s chief shipping analyst, said the estimate applied to the orderbook as measured on 1 September 2026 and compared with 180.0 million CGT a year earlier.
The increase to 203.2 million CGT was described in the report as slightly below the all‑time high for the metric. The MarineLink headline accompanying the data framed the picture as one in which China dominates the global shipbuilding orderbook.
The published figures are presented as estimates and as a point‑in‑time snapshot for 1 September 2026. The report’s summary places emphasis on the year‑on‑year rise rather than on absolute historical peaks.
Key figures
The two principal numbers cited in the report are:
- 203.2 million CGT: estimated size of the global shipyard orderbook on 1 September 2026.
- 180.0 million CGT: the comparable estimate for one year earlier.
These figures are given in Compensated Gross Tonnage, the unit used in the industry measure cited by BIMCO and reported by MarineLink.
Headline and concentration
MarineLink’s headline for the item, "Global Shipyard Orderbook Up 13%, China Dominates", underlines the report’s interpretation of the geographic composition of the orderbook. The supplied notes do not break down the orderbook by country or provide a percentage share for China within the total.
Source and attribution
The information was published by MarineLink Maritime News on 22 October 2026 and attributed to BIMCO analysis. Niels Rasmussen is named as BIMCO’s chief shipping analyst in the material supplied for this report.
Taken together, the supplied reporting establishes a clear year‑on‑year increase in the global shipyard orderbook measured in CGT, and notes that the total remains just below the record high, while emphasising China’s dominant position in the sector as presented in the original item.
Editor profile