News / With the fleet ageing, tonnage buyers are opting for new feeders

Orders at Chinese yards for new box ships in the past week were predominantly for vessels of less than 4,000 teu capacity.

And the orderbook-to-fleet ratio for these stands at a manageable 6.8%, which compares with the double-digit percentage showing for larger containerships.

Today, SITC International, parent of Hong Kong-based intra-Asia carrier SITC Container Lines, announced an order for four 2,700 teu ships at Huanghai Shipbuilding for $38.18m each, with delivery expected from December 2027 to July 2028.

SITC is already building ten 1,800 teu ships at the same shipyard. It explained this would “enable the group to expand its self-owned fleet to meet the increase in demand”.

Meanwhile, European tonnage providers have been busy commissioning ships, ending a relatively quiet few years in which liner operators were the main shipyard customers.

German’s Hartmann ordered a 3,666 teu ship at Taizhou Sanfu Ship Engineering for charter to US line Seaboard Marine – ships smaller than 4,000 teu are exempt from the USTR port fees.

Last week, Costamare’s finance chief, Greg Zikos, announced an order for four 3,100 teu ships from China, but stopped short of revealing the shipyard’. Clarksons, however, claimed this was Zhoushan Changhong International, for around $55m each, and reported to have been chartered to an undisclosed liner operator for eight years upon delivery in June 2027.

Linerlytica also reported that Greek owner Minerva Marine had commissioned up to eight 1,800 teu ships in Yangzijiang Shipbuilding and Huanghai Shipbuilding, for $32m each.

Its compatriot, Athenian Sea Carriers, has made its debut in the container segment, with orders for four 3,000 teu ships at Penglai Zhongbai Jinglu Ship Industry. And Greek bulk carrier owner W Marine is also said to have made an opportunistic entry into the container segment, with letters of intent inked with Huanghai for up to four 1,800 teu ships.

Finally, Schoeller Holdings has ordered two 1,930 teu ships at CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding at $31m each, for delivery in 2027 and 2028. The ship-owning company founded by Heinrich Schoeller in 2023 and 2024 built six 2,713 teu containerships at the same yard.

MB Shipbrokers noted that various buyers were working to secure slots for feeders and mid-size ships from Chinese yards.

Clarksons said: “Carriers have reportedly shown more interest in feeders of late. After firm ordering over the past 18 months, the total orderbook now stands at 9.4m teu, up 50% year on year and well in excess of the 2023 (7.8m teu) and 2008 (6.9m teu) peaks.”

Meanwhile, Loadstar Premium reported last week that the in-service feeder fleet was ageing and needed replacing, estimating the average vessel age at around 15 years.