If you're shipping electric vehicles out of China right now, you've probably noticed something alarming: the ship that was supposed to carry your cars is suddenly booked solid. And the one after that? Same story.
Here's what's happening.
China's EV export machine is running at full throttle – and the ships can't keep up
China's vehicle exports hit 509.6 million units in the first half of 2026, up 65.3% year on year. New energy vehicle exports alone reached 2.355 million units – more than double the same period last year. In June, monthly exports broke the million-vehicle barrier for the first time ever, hitting 1.037 million.
That's a lot of cars that need to get on ships. And the ships just aren't there.
Global vehicle carrier fleet capacity grew by only 3.3% in the first half of 2026. Meanwhile, charter rates have gone through the roof. The one-year time charter rate for a standard 6,500 CEU car carrier has surged around 45% since the start of the year, now sitting at roughly $63,000 a day. Newer vessels are commanding even more. SAIC Anji Logistics recently chartered the 7,060 CEU *Lake Rotorua* at a staggering $90,000 a day. Even 20-year-old ships are locking in long-term deals at $40,000 a day.
The spot market? Practically empty
Industry analysts at Seb have described the situation as a structural shift, not just a cyclical blip. The latest wave of Chinese export volumes has effectively emptied the short-term contract market, forcing manufacturers to divert increasing volumes onto container ships because ro-ro capacity simply can't keep pace.
In fact, approximately one million cars are currently being exported from China via container ship due to insufficient ro-ro vessel capacity. That's not a sustainable solution – it's a workaround born of desperation.
So what does this mean for your supply chain?
If you're an EV manufacturer, an automotive parts supplier, or anyone shipping vehicles or heavy equipment out of China, you're competing for a shrinking pool of vessel space against some of the biggest names in the business. BYD is building its own fleet of car carriers. SAIC is locking in long-term charters at premium rates. And the newbuilding orders that are coming – 40 so far in 2026, compared to just nine last year – won't hit the water until 2028 at the earliest.
That means the squeeze isn't going away anytime soon.
This is where experience and relationships make all the difference
At Xiamen AE Global, we've been moving freight through exactly this kind of market chaos since 2018. We're a government-licensed company with IATA, FIATA, FMC, and NVOCC credentials – which means we have the regulatory standing and the global network to secure capacity when the market is this tight.
With over 100 overseas agents worldwide, we don't just watch the market from a distance. We work directly with our partners on the ground to understand what's really happening at each port, with each carrier, and on each trade lane. When ro-ro capacity dries up, we don't shrug and say "sorry." We find alternatives. We explore container shipping options for vehicles that can be safely loaded that way. We look at breakbulk solutions. We call in favours from our network.
Beyond just "moving boxes"
We've moved over 12,000 TEUs in a single year with a 98.6% on-time delivery rate for our SME clients. That's not luck – that's the result of a team that understands how ports actually work, not just how they look on paper. We're based in Xiamen, one of China's busiest port cities, and we've been shipping all kinds of goods – including vehicles and heavy machinery – for over a decade.
We've also invested in technology that gives our clients real visibility into their shipments. When a charter falls through or a vessel gets delayed, you're not left in the dark. You know. And more importantly, we're already working on alternatives.
The bottom line
The Chinese EV boom isn't slowing down. Neither are the charter rates. If you're relying on the spot market to move your vehicles, you're going to pay a premium – if you can find space at all.
But you don't have to navigate this alone.
At Xiamen AE Global, we don't just move cargo. We build partnerships that help our clients stay ahead of the curve – whether that's securing scarce ro-ro capacity, finding creative alternatives, or simply making sure your vehicles get where they need to go, on time and on budget.
Because when the market is this tight, what you really need isn't a booking platform. It's a partner who knows which strings to pull – and when to pull them.
Ready to secure capacity for your vehicles in a market that's running on empty? Contact Xiamen AE Global today – and let's keep your supply chain moving, no matter how tight the market gets.
