TS Lines adds $246m boxship brace in China

Taiwanese liner operator TS Lines has returned to Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS) for another pair of containerships in a deal worth $246m.

The Hong Kong-listed carrier has contracted two 11,000 teu vessels at the CSSC-controlled yard, together with China Shipbuilding Trading, paying $123m apiece.

The ships are scheduled for delivery in 2030, with the investment to be financed through internal resources and bank borrowings, according to a filing with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

The latest order adds to a sizeable newbuilding programme TS Lines has been assembling across Chinese yards, covering both feeder and larger containership tonnage.

In March, the company signed up for four 2,900 teu ships at Fujian Mawei Shipyard for $168.6m, with deliveries scheduled by May 2029. The deal followed a two-ship contract at the same yard in November 2025, taking that series to six vessels.

TS Lines has also been building up its larger ship fleet at Waigaoqiao, where it previously contracted two methanol dual-fuel 14,000 teu vessels and two 7,092 teu ships.

Founded in 2001, TS Lines operates primarily in intra-Asia trades. At the end of June, its fleet comprised 47 vessels with a combined capacity of nearly 140,000 teu, including owned and chartered tonnage.