China–Red Sea route + service upgrade, freight rates expected to decrease in December.

The Red Sea is one of the shortest and most strategic maritime routes connecting Asia and Europe. It links directly to the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal. Without passing through the Red Sea, vessels traveling to Europe must detour around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa - adding approximately 3,280 nautical miles to the journey.

In 2021, a single vessel grounding incident in the Suez Canal caused a seven-day blockage, significantly impacting global shipping costs. This highlights the Red Sea's importance as one of the world's busiest and most vital trade routes.

Main Red Sea Ports

AQABA (Jordan)

JEDDAH (Saudi Arabia)

SOKHNA (Egypt)

New Direct Red Sea Service by TSL

A new biweekly direct Red Sea service has officially launched, jointly operated by RCL (RCR), TSL (RCX), and GFS (CRC).

Port rotation:
Shanghai → Qingdao → Nansha (Guangzhou) → Shekou (Shenzhen) → Jeddah → Sokhna → Aqaba → Jeddah → Shanghai

First sailings:

Shanghai: Nov 13

Qingdao: Nov 16

Nansha: Nov 21

Shekou: Nov 23

The total voyage time is approximately 27 days, with direct access to Jeddah, Sokhna, and Aqaba - three major Red Sea hub ports. This new service provides an efficient direct shipping corridor from East and South China to the Red Sea region.