Chinese chemical tanker owner Xingtong Shipping has continued its fleet growth drive with contracts for four stainless steel chemical tankers at three domestic shipyards in a deal worth about RMB697.3m ($103m).

The Shanghai-listed company said its wholly owned subsidiary， Xingtong Investment (Singapore)， has signed separate newbuilding agreements with Taizhou Maple Leaf Shipbuilding， Taizhou Kouan Shipbuilding and Jiangxi New Jiangzhou Shipbuilding Heavy Industry for a series of 13，000 dwt vessels.

Deliveries are scheduled between the end of 2027 and the first half of 2028.

Under the agreements， Taizhou Maple Leaf will build one vessel for RMB174.5m， while Taizhou Kouan will construct another for RMB175m. Jiangxi New Jiangzhou will deliver two ships at RMB173.9m each.

The quartet will measure 133.3 m in length and feature cargo capacity of about 15，300 cu m. Designed for the carriage of IMO-regulated Group II and III chemicals， the vessels will be capable of transporting a wide range of chemical products while meeting increasingly stringent environmental requirements， the company said.

Xingtong added the investment supports its “1+2+1” development strategy and will help modernise its fleet while increasing the share of greener and more technologically advanced tonnage in its international operations.

The latest contracts build on Xingtong’s steady expansion in the specialised tanker segment. Shipbuilding records show the company previously booked a pair of similar 13，000 dwt stainless steel chemical tankers at Taizhou Kouan Shipbuilding in March 2025.

Established in 1997， Xingtong controls a fleet of more than 30 vessels spanning chemical tankers， product tankers and LPG carriers， and has been steadily growing its presence in both domestic and international chemical transportation markets.