支线集装箱船新船集中交付或令2027年租船费率承压

Cape Bruno. Photo: VesselFinder

By Alison Koo

4 November 2026

Feeder containership charter rates could face downward pressure in 2027 as a wave of newbuild deliveries adds capacity to a market that has enjoyed strong earnings in 2026.

Ship brokerage Intermodal research analyst Vasilis Fousekis noted that the time-charter rate for a 1,700 teu geared feeder had climbed to about $33,750 a day for six to 12 months, up 19% year on year and more than double its 2023 level.

A 1,000 teu vessel now earns approximately $18,750 a day, up 10% annually.

Charterers are fixing sub-3,000 teu tonnage for delivery as far ahead as Q3 27, with average fixture periods extending to around two years.

Linerlytica’s report yesterday disclosed that Namsung Shipping had fixed the newly built 3,318 teu Sheng Shun 62 from Chinese owner Xiamen Hongtai Shipping for $37,000 a day for 23 to 25 months.

Gemini Cooperation partners Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, in need of tonnage to support their hub-and-spoke model, were also busy. Maersk fixed the 2000-built 2,442 teu Meratus Jayagiri from Indonesian feeder operator Meratus Line for $26,500 a day for two years, while Hapag-Lloyd chartered Germany’s Hanse Bereederung’s 2023-built 1,930 teu Cape Bruno for $21,250 a day for three years.

Market strength has been driven by expanding intra-Asia trade, Middle East disruption, and persistent port congestion.

Mr Fousekis said: “Behind this strength lies a restructuring of Asian trade flows. Product components are now assembled in Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia before onward shipment, adding port calls that favour smaller tonnage.”

However, supply growth presents a more immediate challenge. The feeder orderbook stands at around 1.05m teu, across 635 vessels, equivalent to almost 20% of the existing fleet.

Around 42% of the orderbook capacity is scheduled for delivery in 2027, with another 34% set for 2028, mainly in the 1,000–1,999 teu segment. With demolition remaining negligible, despite 30% of feeder capacity being at least 20 years old, fleet growth could reach around 6% next year.

The outlook is also becoming less favourable with mainline operators set to make a full resumption of Asia-Europe services through the Suez Canal.

Mr Fousekis explained: “The restoration of direct mainline calls at ports such as Jeddah could render some relay services, established during the Cape diversion, redundant as released mid-sized tonnage cascades into regional trades.”