South Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries has secured a new contract from an African shipowner to build two large container ships worth around $320 million in total, with delivery scheduled by December 2028. The deal pushes the yard’s commercial orderbook above 100% of its annual value target and underscores Korea’s strategy to defend its position in high‑value shipbuilding against intensifying Chinese competition.
Samsung Heavy Industries announced on August 31, 2026 that it had signed a shipbuilding contract with an African shipowner for two container vessels valued at approximately KRW 444.5 billion, or about USD 320 million in total. The unit price is estimated at around USD 160 million per ship, and delivery of the newbuildings is scheduled to be completed by December 2028. Weekly market summaries of newbuilding contracts for week 35 of 2026 list this deal among the largest individual container orders concluded in the latest reporting period. Korean business media further note that the contract extends Samsung Heavy’s strong run of commercial ship orders booked so far in 2026.
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