Multiple Shipping Companies Jointly Launch New China-Red Sea Route!
Publish Time: 2025-11-19 Origin: Site
Recently, several shipping companies have successively launched new routes to the Red Sea.
The latest news: Gulf Feeder Services (GFS), Regional Container Lines (RCL), and T.S. Lines (TSL) have jointly launched a new China-Red Sea route.
This route aims to meet the growing freight demand in the Red Sea region, particularly for consumer goods, mechanical equipment, and construction materials entering Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Meanwhile, it provides transshipment services relying on Jeddah—one of the fastest-growing hub ports in the region.
Reportedly, the new route will deploy 3,000 TEU container ships in the initial operation phase, operating on a biweekly schedule. The port rotation is: Shanghai - Qingdao - Guangzhou Nansha - Shenzhen Shekou - Jeddah - Sokhna - Aqaba - Jeddah - Shanghai.
Industry insiders believe this move reflects regional carriers’ growing interest in expanding capacity in the China-Red Sea market. Over the past year, market demand on this route has consistently exceeded existing capacity supply.
Shortly before, Haijie Shipping launched a weekly China-Red Sea route. By optimizing vessel operations, it successfully shortened the transit time to 16 days—helping customers deliver goods faster, effectively reducing in-transit risks, and lowering capital occupation costs.
Additionally, Dubai-based container shipping company CStar Line launched a new China-Red Sea route FRS1 in July this year.
Operating twice a month, the route deploys 4 container ships with a capacity of 1,600-2,000 TEU, with the port rotation: Qingdao - Shanghai - Guangzhou Nansha - Jeddah - Aqaba - Sokhna - Qingdao.
Notably, although recent reports indicate the Houthi rebels have suspended attacks on ships in the Red Sea, the group has not issued an official confirmation. Meanwhile, the Gaza ceasefire agreement remains fragile.
Clarksons data shows that ship transits in the Red Sea region are still far below "normal" levels. In terms of gross tonnage, the average daily number of ships passing through the Gulf of Aden in early November this year dropped by approximately 65% compared to the 2023 average.