Swiss bulker owner Suisse-Atlantique is moving to expand its fleet, with brokers reporting a five-ship ultramax order in China.

Market sources say the Andre family-led group has contracted five 63,500 dwt bulkers at Jiangmen Nanyang Ship Engineering (JNS).

The Guangdong-based yard is known for building energy-efficient handy and ultramax bulk carriers, and the deal is understood to mark Suisse-Atlantique’s first newbuilding order in China.

The vessels are priced at around $33.5m each and are scheduled for delivery across 2028 and 2029.

Founded in 1941, the Morges-based outfit operates a fleet of about 10 bulkers ranging from handies to post-panamaxes.

Shipbuilding records show the company last ordered new tonnage in 2019, when it signed up for a pair of ultramaxes at Tsuneishi Cebu in the Philippines, while previous bulkers were built in Japan and Vietnam.

Alongside the company’s return to the yard market, Suisse Atlantique has also been active in secondhand deals, adding a 2017-built handysize to its fleet in late 2025.