According to data from Clarksons Research, global new ship contracting volume in August stood at 4.2 million compensated gross tons (CGT), down 23.7% year-on-year, with Chinese shipyards securing 85.4% of global new orders. A total of 125 new vessels were contracted worldwide in the month, a 43.4% decrease from 221 vessels in the same period last year. Chinese shipyards secured 107 vessels totaling 3.59 million CGT, a 14.8% year-on-year decline in order volume; their global market share rose from 76.4% in August 2025 to 85.4%.

South Korean shipyards won 10 vessels totaling 0.31 million CGT, down 53% year-on-year, accounting for a 7.3% market share. Japanese shipyards took 5 orders totaling 0.15 million CGT, representing 3.7% of the global total.

The market share gap between China and South Korea widened to a record 78.1 percentage points. In previous months, China's share was about 85% in June, and in July China held 84% while South Korea held 14%. By vessel type, new tanker orders rose 76.1% year-on-year, while LPG carrier orders increased by 43.7%; LNG carrier orders fell sharply by 72.1%.

In the first eight months of 2026, global cumulative new ship orders reached 2,128 vessels totaling 59.72 million CGT, up 60.6% from 37.19 million CGT in the same period last year. Among these, Chinese shipyards secured 45.39 million CGT, accounting for 76% of global orders in the January–August period, with order intake surging 95.4% year-on-year. South Korean shipyards took 9.38 million CGT, a 15.7% share, up 54.4% year-on-year.

As of the end of August, global order book stood at 216.43 million CGT, an increase of 1.05 million CGT from the previous month. China's order book amounted to 145.39 million CGT, a 67.2% share, while South Korea's order book was 37.96 million CGT, a 17.5% share.

The Clarksons Newbuilding Price Index rose by 0.85 points in August to 186.34 points. Reference benchmark prices for representative vessel types: a 174,000 cbm LNG carrier approximately $248.5 million, a VLCC approximately $131 million, and a 22,000–24,000 TEU container ship approximately $254 million.