MPC Container Ships is considering further newbuilding orders after contracting 10 vessels this year, reports London's Lloyd's List. Chief executive Constantin Baack said the Oslo-listed tonnage provider may exercise options linked to existing contracts while exploring new projects.

The company's ordering run began in July with four 4,500-TEU ships at Taizhou Sanfu Ship Engineering, followed by two 1,600-TEU vessels at Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding in October. Earlier this month, MPCC confirmed another order for four 4,500-TEU ships at Jiangsu Hantong Ship Heavy Industry.

Baack said the ships ordered this year were secured on attractive terms and all have been fixed on time charters to major liner operators. He warned, however, that the global feeder fleet remains underinvested and could face supply constraints if demand continues to rise.

Orders for smaller containerships have increased since the second quarter, but the orderbook for ships under 5,000 TEU represents only eight per cent of the fleet, compared with 35 per cent for larger vessels. Many feeder and mid-size ships are more than 20 years old, making them vulnerable to tightening decarbonisation rules.

MPCC reported a third-quarter profit of US$53.6 million, down from $63.8 million a year earlier. Revenues fell five per cent to $125.9 million, while EBITDA slipped to $83.5 million from $84.8 million. Average time charter equivalent rates rose slightly to $26,523 per day.

The company operates 51 ships ranging from 1,223 TEU to 5,500 TEU, with a combined capacity of 130,000 TEU. MPCC said it has full charter coverage for the remainder of 2025, 92 per cent coverage for 2026 and 55 per cent for 2027. Full-year guidance was raised to revenues of $500-510 million and EBIDA of $330-340 million.