South Korea’s flagship liner operator HMM has been linked to a new feeder containership order at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.

Shipbroking sources say the carrier is behind a contract disclosed by HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering covering 10 container vessels worth KRW823.7bn ($553m).

The ships are understood to be 2,800 teu feeder containerships priced at around $55m each, with deliveries scheduled through December 2028.

If confirmed, the deal would add another layer to HMM’s ongoing fleet expansion across several size segments.

Late last year the carrier ordered a dozen LNG dual-fuel containerships in the 13,000 teu range from Korean builders. Eight of those ships were allocated to HD Hyundai yards, including the Samho facility and HHI, while Hanwha Ocean secured contracts for four additional vessels. Deliveries for that series are expected through the first half of 2029.

HMM has also been active in China, where it recently contracted Huanghai Shipbuilding for a series of smaller feeder units, understood to include 1,800 teu and 3,000 teu ships.

According to Alphaliner, HMM ranks eighth among the world’s largest liner operators, operating a fleet of more than 90 ships with a combined capacity of just over 1m teu. In addition to container shipping, the group operates vessels in the dry bulk, tanker, car, and LPG carrier segments.