Kawa Shipping (Hong Kong) Limited (Kawa Shipping) has placed orders for a number of medium-sized container ships at a Chinese shipyard, brokerage sources said.
It is reported that Kiawah Shipping has ordered three 4,800 TEU container ships from Wuhu Shipyard, and the contract may also include an optional ship. The order price is in line with the current market conditions, with a single ship price of about US$60 million and a total price of US$240 million (about RMB 1.76 billion) for the four ships.
This order is the fourth publicly reported order for Wuhu Shipyard since entering 2025. Its first three orders are: two 25,900 DWT stainless steel chemical tankers from Vietnam Asia Pacific Shipping, with a price of US$50 million per ship, expected to be delivered in 2028; two 50,000 DWT product tankers from the UK Union Maritime, expected to be delivered in November 2027 and February 2028; at least one 6,600 DWT stainless steel chemical tanker from the UK RFOcean, with a price of US$20 million per ship.
According to the description on Kawa Shipping’s official website, the company was established in 2023 and mainly operates Middle East routes. It has become one of the fastest-growing private international container shipping companies in China. In September 2024, Kawa Shipping operated 14 container ships, including 3 self-owned ships, with a total capacity of about 20,000 TEUs. By the end of 2024, the total capacity will be about 25,000-30,000 TEUs.
At the end of last year, Kawa Shipping cooperated with Zhejiang Seaport Group, Sino-European Trade and Logistics Cooperation Zone and Container Terminal Wilhelmshaven (CTW) Marketing to open the “China-Europe Express” route between Ningbo Zhoushan Port and Port William, which has become the fastest direct route from the Yangtze River Delta region to Europe.
As the Belt and Road Initiative gains increasing recognition and support, China-Europe industrial cooperation continues to deepen, and commercial logistics have reached a higher level. The “China-Europe Express” provides a fast and efficient new shipping solution for the export of “three new items” produced by enterprises in the Yangtze River Delta region, including electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaic products, as well as cross-border e-commerce goods.