MSC-controlled Global Car Carriers has ordered eight more large LNG dual-fuel car carriers at Chinese yards, lifting its newbuilding programme to 20 ships worth more than $2bn.

The orders break down into four additional 8,600 ceu pure car and truck carriers (PCTCs) at China Merchants' Weihai yard, two at Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) and another two at Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding. Delivery of these units falls towards the end of the decade.

The latest bookings take GCC's orderbook to 16 ships of 8,600 ceu and four of 7,000 ceu — all contracted at Chinese yards and all fitted with LNG dual-fuel propulsion. Six of the larger vessels were already booked at China Merchants Jinling, with another six now listed at Weihai, two at GSI and two at Mawei. Weihai and GSI are also handling the four 7,000 ceu ships. Deliveries across the wider programme stretch from 2028 through 2030.

Acceleration under Aponte ownership

The expansion has accelerated since MSC took control of Oslo-listed Gram Car Carriers in 2024. The Aponte family-controlled group paid NOK7.6bn — roughly $700m — for the company, a deal that brought one of the world's largest independent PCTC tonnage providers under the MSC umbrella. Gram was subsequently taken private and earlier this year rebranded as Global Car Carriers while keeping the GCC abbreviation.

The pace of contracting has been striking. As recently as July, GCC's disclosed programme stood at 12 vessels: eight 8,600 ceu ships and four 7,000 ceu units split between Jinling, Weihai and GSI. In roughly six months the fleet-on-order has grown by two-thirds.

The investment comes as car carrier contracting roars back after slowing sharply last year. Booming Chinese vehicle exports have effectively cleared the short-term PCTC market. Splash reported this summer that around 1m cars were being exported in containers because dedicated roro capacity could not keep pace — a displacement that inflates container freight demand and box equipment availability on Asia outbound lanes.

Fleet renewal runs alongside growth

GCC has also been pruning older tonnage while building out the larger end of the fleet. In July, the company sold the 2,000 ceu Viking Oslo and Viking Odessa to Polaris Autoliners for around $44m en bloc.

For vehicle shippers, the message is mixed. GCC's 20-ship programme adds substantial modern, LNG-fuelled capacity from 2028, which should ease the tightness that has driven car carrier rates and pushed cargo into containers. But with deliveries clustered at the end of the decade and exports from China still running hot, the capacity squeeze looks set to persist through the near term.

For MSC, the build-out deepens its exposure beyond containers into vehicle logistics at scale. For competing PCTC operators and forwarders moving vehicles in boxes, an MSC-backed GCC with 20 efficient dual-fuel ships entering the water between 2028 and 2030 will reset the competitive picture on Asian export lanes well before then.