SS Antenor was built by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company Ltd at Jarrow-on-Tyne in England with a gross registered tonnage (GRT) of 11,174, a length of 487ft 8in, a beam of 62ft 2in and a service speed of 15.5 knots. She was built for Alfred Holt and Company of Liverpool, who owned various shipping lines including the Ocean Steam Ship Company (OSSC), Nederlandsche Stoomvaart Maatschappij Oceaan (NSMO), The China Mutual Steam Navigation Company (CMSNC) and Blue Funnel. She was launched on 30 September 1924 for deployment with the China Mutual Steam Navigation Company. She commenced her maiden voyage on 15 January 1925 from Liverpool to the Far East.