On the morning of October 17, the Conference Commemorating the 160th Anniversary of the Founding of Fujian Shipbuilding and the Fujian Shipbuilding Industry Group Strategic Cooperation and Development Conference was successfully held in Fuzhou. Under the theme “Green and Smart, Linking to the Deep Blue,” the conference brought together representatives from financial leasing institutions, shipowner customers, classification societies, design companies, core equipment suppliers, and upstream and downstream partners across the industrial chain.

At the conference, COSCO Shipping Bulk once again teamed up with Fujian Shipbuilding to place an additional order for 16 multi-purpose grain carriers, further expanding its dry bulk newbuilding portfolio, and signed construction contracts for 16 87,000-dwt multi-purpose grain carriers. The new vessels will be financed by three financial leasing companies: ICBC Financial Leasing will participate in 11 vessels, Zhejiang Bank Financial Leasing in 3 vessels, and Yongying Financial Leasing in the remaining 2 vessels. The order is valued at approximately USD 800 million.

In addition, Fujian Shipbuilding also secured the contracts for the main engines and generator sets for these 16 vessels.

In June 2025, COSCO Shipping Bulk and Fujian Shipbuilding, together with CITIC Financial Leasing, ordered 30 80,000-dwt-class multi-purpose grain carriers at a unit price of approximately RMB 360 million. These vessels will be built by Fujian Shipbuilding’s subsidiaries Mawei Shipbuilding and Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry, with deliveries scheduled for 2027 and 2028.

Since then, COSCO Shipping has further deepened its presence in the grain carrier segment. In July this year, its listed leasing platform COSCO SHIPPING Development announced a standalone order worth RMB 8.66 billion for 24 bulk carriers, including 20 87,000-dwt multi-purpose grain carriers and 4 210,000-dwt Newcastlemax bulk carriers.

The grain carriers in this order will be built by COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (Dalian) (15 vessels) and CSSC Chengxi (5 vessels). All 24 vessels are planned to be leased to Huifeng, a subsidiary of COSCO Shipping Bulk, under 20-year lease arrangements.