Hong Kong's Baozhou Shipping has ordered up to four 2,700 TEU feeder vessels at Chinese shipyards as demand for regional boxships continues to drive newbuilding activity, reports Singapore's Splash 247.

Industry sources said the company has contracted two firm vessels plus two options through Zhejiang Tenglong Shipbuilding. The ships will be subcontracted to Zhejiang Yangfan Shipbuilding, with the firm units scheduled for delivery in 2028.

Baozhou Shipping has remained relatively low-profile compared with larger intra-Asian carriers, but the 2,700 TEU segment has become one of the busiest areas of the containership newbuilding market over the past year.

Chinese yards including Huangpu Wenchong, Yangzhou Guoyu, and Taizhou Sanfu have secured a significant share of these orders, with delivery slots stretching into 2028 and beyond.

Financial details of the Baozhou deal were not disclosed, but recent contracts for similarly sized vessels suggest pricing is likely to be about US$45 million per ship, depending on specifications.