China sends world's largest car carrier, capable of holding up to 9,500 cars, on maiden voyage

Two new Chinese car carriers have set sail on their maiden voyage, with one of them, the Anji Ansheng, setting a world record for capacity, underscoring China's ambitions to export cars, the South China Morning Post reports.

With the capacity to carry up to 9,500 cars, the Anji Ansheng has become the world's largest car carrier, according to SAIC Anji Logistics, the logistics arm of state-owned automaker SAIC Motor. The previous record was held by the BYD Shenzhen, which set sail for Brazil last month with a capacity of 9,200 cars.

The Anji Ansheng vessel set off from Shanghai to Europe with about 7,000 Chinese-made cars. SAIC Anji Logistics already has 35 car carriers, 15 of which are for international transport, and plans to increase their number to 22 by 2026 to cover key markets from Mexico to the Mediterranean and Southeast Asia.

Another new vessel, the Yuan Hai Kou of COSCO Shipping Car Carriers, departed Guangzhou for the Mediterranean on the same day. It carries about 4,000 cars and can accommodate up to 7,000. COSCO currently has 20 vessels and plans to expand its fleet to 30 next year.

The rapid growth in Chinese car exports has caused a shortage of car carriers, forcing local automakers such as BYD, Chery, and SAIC to create their own fleets to reduce costs and stabilize logistics.

China's success in shipbuilding is causing concern in the United States. In October, American authorities plan to raise fees for Chinese ships calling at US ports.