Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, working alongside CSSC Trading Co., Ltd., has signed a contract with German shipowner Peter Döhle for the construction of two 14,000 TEU container ships. The agreement was formally signed on 01 Sep 2026 at the SMM Hamburg exhibition in Germany, one of the shipping industry's major trade fairs. The contract covers two large container vessels in the 14,000 TEU class, a segment considered part of the high-end container ship market. Hudong-Zhonghua, a shipyard under the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) group, has built a track record in constructing large containerships and LNG carriers for international owners. Peter Döhle is a long-established German shipowning and management group with a diversified fleet spanning container, bulk and other vessel types. The new order extends an existing relationship between the German owner and the Chinese shipyard, according to the companies involved. Neither party disclosed the contract value or the scheduled delivery dates for the two newbuild vessels. The signing was highlighted by CSSC-affiliated representatives as evidence of continued demand from established European owners for large container tonnage built at Chinese yards, amid an active period of contracting for boxship capacity at yards across China.