UK shipping company Union Maritime (UML) has ordered nine newbuildings spanning Newcastlemax and handysize bulk carriers as well as chemical and petroleum product tankers. The company has not disclosed how the nine vessels will be divided among the four categories, nor has it named the shipyards involved, contract prices, individual vessel specifications, or delivery schedules. The latest order adds to UML's dry bulk exposure while expanding its existing chemical and product tanker programmes. It follows a sustained newbuilding expansion by the company, with a report published last month placing UML's overall construction programme at 69 vessels, roughly 90 per cent of which are being built at Chinese shipyards. That wider programme comprises 50 oil tankers, 15 bulk carriers, and four gas carriers, with deliveries scheduled between 2026 and 2030. Of the 69 vessels, 61 are under construction in China, four in South Korea, two in Japan, and two in Vietnam. Wuhu Shipyard holds the largest share of the programme, with 20 UML vessels currently awaiting delivery. The latest order underscores UML's continued reliance on Chinese shipbuilding capacity as it broadens its fleet across bulk and tanker segments, though further details on the new contracts are expected to emerge as the shipbuilding programme progresses.