Well-placed sources say MSC has penned four vessels of 11,000 teu at the Korean builder’s Subic Bay yard in the Philippines (HHIC-Phil). It is paying $80m apiece for the ships, which are set for delivery in 2017.

News of MSC looking to order the quartet was first reported in TradeWinds in February.

The company has earmarked the vessels for the north to south trades.