A new report on global newbuilding activity says tanker contracting is currently the dominant driver of recent shipyard orders, even as yard prices remain elevated and deliveries begin to accelerate.
Banchero Costa, the Genoa shipbroker whose research is summarised in reports, identifies tankers at the forefront of the latest surge in contracting. The broker notes that owners continue to place orders despite a market of high newbuilding prices.
The report frames the sector as moving away from a period dominated by fresh contracts and toward one in which a substantial number of ships will be handed over to owners. Banchero Costa highlights that the orderbook still covers several major vessel types, including bulkcarriers, tankers and liquefied gas carriers.
Tanker orders lead contracting
According to the summary published on 30 October 2026 by reports, tankers have been the most active segment in recent yard activity. That prominence has persisted despite what the broker characterises as an expensive newbuilding environment.
Delivery wave replaces the ordering boom
The shipbroker warns that the market’s phase is shifting from heavy ordering into a delivery wave, a change that will alter shipyards’ workload and owners’ fleet plans as vessels are progressively delivered. The transition implies a concentration on completing on-order tonnage rather than a continuation of the previous contract rush.
The study draws attention to the composition of the orderbook and the range of vessel types still under construction. It makes clear that orders for bulkcarriers, tankers, LNG and LPG carriers remain material elements of the backlog that will feed deliveries in the months ahead.
Banchero Costa’s analysis also comments on price dynamics, saying that high yard prices are expected to persist through 2027. That projection helps explain why some owners have been selective about newbuildings while others have proceeded nevertheless, accepting higher construction costs to secure capacity.
The combination of a dominant tanker ordering trend and an expanding delivery pipeline carries implications for freight markets, shipyard utilisation and secondhand values. With more tonnage set to enter service, operators and charterers may need to reassess supply-side expectations as the delivery wave unfolds.
The report carried by reports on 30 October 2026 is aimed at owners, yards and financiers seeking an up-to-date read on how contracting and deliveries will interact in the near term. Banchero Costa’s findings underscore both the continued appetite for tanker capacity and the constraining effect of sustained yard prices through next year.