France’s CMA CGM SA is in talks to build at least three container megaships, joining the race among the top container operators that already use such vessels to increase their market share on the world’s busiest trade routes, people with knowledge of the matter said Tuesday.

The ships would be able to carry around 20,000 containers each and cost about $420 million in total, the people said. Deliveries would start in 2017, and the order will probably go to South Korea’s Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Co., which offered the French company a discount of around 5% compared with other South Korean yards that have so far monopolized the construction of the huge Triple-E class of container vessels, the people said.

More at the Wall Street Journal blog