On August 14, 2026, Fujian Highton Development Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Highton Development," stock code: 603162) announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Highton International Shipping Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Highton International"), plans to invest no more than RMB 600 million (excluding tax) in the construction of two 62,000 DWT multi-purpose heavy-lift vessels, and has signed a shipbuilding contract with Taizhou Kouan Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.

This investment marks the third time this year that Highton Development has placed orders with Taizhou Kouan Shipbuilding for multi-purpose heavy-lift vessels. On January 7, 2026, Highton International signed a contract with Taizhou Kouan Shipbuilding for three 62,000 DWT multi-purpose heavy-lift vessels, with an investment amount not exceeding RMB 900 million. On April 22, 2026, Highton International signed another contract with Taizhou Kouan Shipbuilding for four 62,000 DWT multi-purpose heavy-lift vessels, with an investment amount not exceeding RMB 1.2 billion. Together, the three orders total nine vessels of the same type, with a cumulative investment of RMB 2.7 billion.

Heavy-lift vessel operations are highly synergistic with Highton Development's existing breakbulk cargo shipping business. The company has established a professional operations team and developed several advantageous routes. From a market demand perspective, multi-purpose heavy-lift vessels are entering an upward cycle driven by multiple factors: the rapid growth of the global wind power industry amid carbon neutrality goals, with sustained strong exports of Chinese wind power equipment; the deepening of the "Belt and Road" Initiative, which has spurred an increase in infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and other regions; and the upgrading of the domestic manufacturing sector, boosting exports of engineering machinery, nuclear power equipment, large-scale chemical equipment, and more. An industrial research report from Industrial Securities points out that heavy-lift multi-purpose vessels combine resilience in general cargo, elasticity in offshore demand, and expectations of fleet aging-led supply attrition, with charter rates having shown a significantly widening premium over container and bulk carrier rates since 2022.

Founded in March 2009 and listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in March 2023, Highton Development has consistently focused on domestic coastal and international oceangoing dry bulk cargo shipping. Its operational routes cover more than 300 ports across over 80 countries and regions, providing maritime transportation services for ores, coal, grain, fertilizers, breakbulk cargo, and other commodities. Since 2026, Highton Development has experienced explosive performance growth. According to its semi-annual report for 2026, the company achieved operating revenue of RMB 3.471 billion in the first half of the year, a year-on-year increase of 92.78%, and net profit attributable to shareholders of RMB 523 million, a year-on-year increase of 502.60%, with half-year net profit already exceeding the full-year 2025 level.