Maritime Service Network CNSS has learned that Zodiac Maritime has expanded its order for up to six additional car carrier vessels at Yantai CIMC Raffles, in response to growing transportation demand driven by the surge in Chinese automobile exports. At the same time, the company has also placed a new order for eight 6,400 TEU container ships at Hengli Heavy Industry.

On the car carrier front, according to TradeWinds, Zodiac has confirmed an order for 4+2 new 7,000 CEU PCTCs at CIMC Raffles, scheduled for delivery between 2028 and 2029. This latest order follows closely on the heels of a contract for two sister ships signed by the shipowner just two months earlier. A source confirmed the order, stating that these newbuilds are part of the company's broader fleet expansion strategy in the car carrier sector.

The car carrier market has been one of the strongest performers in the current shipping boom, offering opportunities for asset arbitrage and lucrative time-charter contracts. The market is currently being underpinned by the astonishing growth in Chinese automobile exports.

These vessels are expected to be used to transport finished vehicles for Chinese automakers. The source said: "Zodiac was one of the first shipping companies to support Chinese car manufacturers such as BYD, Geely, and Chery, at a time when other companies were still reluctant to cooperate."

Car carrier experts noted the sharp increase in Chinese automobile exports in recent years. "Chinese carmakers simply cannot find enough PCTCs at the moment. Last month, China exported one million finished vehicles," the shipping source said. In contrast, China exported only about 500,000 vehicles in the whole of 2021. "Now, China is moving towards a target of exporting 10 million vehicles annually," the source added.

On the container ship side, brokers estimate that each vessel costs around $80 million, bringing the total investment to $640 million, with deliveries scheduled between 2028 and 2029. Hengli Heavy Industry stated that after securing orders for more than 200 vessels in the first half of this year (including over 50 container ships), its overall delivery schedule has been pushed back to 2030.

Including this latest batch of orders, Zodiac's publicly disclosed new container ship orders since the beginning of 2025 will total 19 vessels, with a combined capacity of approximately 135,200 TEU. Zodiac returned to the container ship newbuilding market last October, ordering five conventionally fueled 6,000 TEU vessels at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard, at a cost of about $78–79 million each, also scheduled for delivery from 2028 onward. In December of the same year, the shipowner ordered six 9,000 TEU vessels at Jiangsu Xinhantong Shipbuilding Heavy Industry, at a cost of over $100 million each, with deliveries expected to begin in the second half of 2028.

All three of the above disclosed orders are for conventionally powered vessels, though the latest order at Hengli Heavy Industry will include scrubber installations.

Zodiac is one of the largest independent operators in the car carrier sector and also operates a diversified fleet of approximately 200 vessels, covering container ships, bulk carriers, tankers, gas carriers, and car carriers.