China's Xinle Shipbuilding has secured a new feeder containership order from Hong Kong-based Synelysia Limited, further adding to the recent wave of demand for small and mid-sized container tonnage.

According to Xinle Shipbuilding, the contract covers 4+2+2 units of 1,900 TEU containerships. If all options are exercised, the total series could reach eight vessels.

The vessels will be designed by CIMC Ocean Engineering Design & Research Institute. 

No contract price has been disclosed. However, preliminary newbuilding price assessments by MB Shipbrokers put a 1,800-teu geared feeder containership at about $32m per vessel in China and $37m in Korea. Based on the China assessment for similar feeder tonnage, the four firm vessels would represent a contract value of around $128m, while the full eight-ship series could be worth roughly $256m, before any specification adjustments.

The order is also notable as it places Xinle Shipbuilding into the increasingly active feeder containership newbuilding market. Smaller containerships around the 1,900 TEU size have attracted renewed attention as regional trades, intra-Asia networks and port-restricted routes continue to support demand for flexible feeder tonnage.

For Synelysia, a relatively low-profile Hong Kong-based company, the deal marks a significant move into the feeder boxship newbuilding market.

The latest contract also underlines a broader trend in the container shipping sector. While the largest mainline vessels continue to dominate global headlines, regional and feeder tonnage is becoming an increasingly important part of fleet renewal strategies, particularly as aging smaller ships face efficiency, compliance and replacement pressure.

With Chinese yards continuing to win feeder containership orders, the 1,900 TEU segment is becoming one of the more closely watched niches in the current newbuilding cycle.