Maersk Line has awarded up to $351m-worth of boxship newbuilding orders to Singapore-listed Cosco Shipyard Group.

Informed sources say three Chinese shipbuilding companies — Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, Yangfan Group and Cosco — were among the final bidders for Maersk’s feedership newbuildings but Cosco ousted the other two by offering an attractive price of $39m each, some $3m less per unit than its competitors.