Akij Resource has officially entered the newbuilding market, signing a contract with Xiangyu Shipbuilding for the construction of four 63,800 dwt Ultramax bulk carriers.

According to Xiangyu Shipbuilding, the two parties reached an agreement on June 24, though the order value and delivery schedule have yet to be publicly disclosed. Based on market sources, the current newbuilding price for a 61,000–64,500 dwt bulk carrier stands at approximately US$34.5 million. By this estimate, the total value of Akij's four-vessel order would be around US$140 million.

During the same period, Greek shipowner Goldenport Shipmanagement also placed an order at Xiangyu Shipbuilding for two 64,000 dwt Ultramax bulk carriers, scheduled for delivery in mid-2029.

Xiangyu Shipbuilding has been steadily building momentum in the Ultramax bulk carrier segment in recent years. On July 3, the shipyard named and delivered its 100th Ultramax bulk carrier, the Yuan Hai Song Tao, with the construction cycle for the series compressed from 15.5 months for the first vessel to as little as seven months. To date, Xiangyu Shipbuilding's "Jixiang" series of 63,800 dwt bulk carriers has accumulated orders for 168 vessels from 38 shipowners across ten countries and regions.

According to Clarksons data, Xiangyu Shipbuilding's Ultramax bulk carrier orderbook ranks among the largest globally. To date, the enterprise has secured cumulative orders for 285 vessels, delivered 153, and holds an order backlog of 132 vessels totalling nearly 9 million deadweight tonnes, with an aggregate order value exceeding RMB 30 billion and delivery slots extending through 2030.