South Korea expands container shipping links to Russia

South Korea has expanded its container shipping links with Russia, the port of Donghae starting a container liner service linking it with far-eastern ports.

Feeder operator Dong Young Shipping will extend its shuttle service between Busan and Vladivostok to include a call at Donghae, on the eastern part of the Korean peninsula.

The revamped  service will start at the end of June, and officials at Donghae say they hope it will revitalise the port and regional development through the growing trade in the northern economic bloc.

South Korea’s primary exports to Russia are used cars, automobile parts, electronics and cosmetics, while coming from Russia are wood pellets, roughage and marine products.

A subsidiary of long-established feeder operator Namsung Shipping, Dong Young launched its Busan-Vladivostok service in June 2021. Currently, it is served by the chartered 650 teu Xiang Ren, but more vessels could be added if response to the extended loop is good.

Meanwhile, Sinotrans Container Lines, part of China’s state-owned China Merchants group, is to launch a container service, the RS1, on 23 May, calling at Shanghai, Busan and Vladivostok with two 700 teu ships, SCO Shanghai and SCO Qingdao.

Tempted by healthy trade between Asia, India and Russia, and unfazed by sanctions, several intra-Asia carriers and start-ups have launched services connecting these regions.

Sanctions against Russia are almost exclusively western and most of Asia has benefited from this by increasing trade with Russia. 

Linerlytica’s latest report says that, as of 15 May, 102 ships, for 107,583 teu, are active in the Russia Far East trade, up from 98 a month ago.

South Korean regional carrier Sinokor Merchant Marine has also maintained its Busan-Vladivostok liner service, Cargoes carried by Sinokor to Vladivostok are then received by Russia’s FESCO and Sakhalin Shipping Company. It has been surmised that if there are no longer ocean freight services between South Korea and Russia, many small and mid-sized South Korean exporters will lose an outlet for their goods.