Cstar Line eyes Red Sea routes as it phases out services between China and Russia

Dubai-registered shipping line Cstar Line has been gradually winding down sailings on three routes it operates between China and ports in the far east of Russia. The routes will be phased out entirely next month.

“This decision allows us to redirect our resources to strengthen and expand our services in other key regions, including our new connections in the Red Sea and on our main routes,” stated the Dubai-based shipowner in an announcement.

As reported by Linerlytica, Cstar Line will cancel three routes (Far East-Far East 1, Far East-Far East 2, and Far East-Far East 4), which connect the Russian port of Vostochny with ports in China. However, the company will continue to operate the route between Vostochny and Busan, South Korea.

Cstar Line has been offering connections to Asian ports in Russia since last year, filling a gap left by major shipping lines who stopped servicing these routes due to sanctions.

Now, however, the Emirati line is shifting its focus to the Red Sea, where it will operate a route between Dubai’s Jebel Ali port, Djibouti, and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, before returning to Djibouti and then Dubai. The entire voyage is expected to take 20 days.

Sailings in the Red Sea have become lucrative since December last year, when large shipowners largely abandoned the area. The main deterrent has been the threat of attacks by Houthi rebels from Yemen, who have targeted vessels either owned by Israel or en route to Israeli ports.

Cstar Line is led by Zsolt Katona, a former long-time Maersk employee who served as Area Managing Director for Eastern Europe until 2022. The company operates a fleet of 18 ships (primarily chartered) with a capacity of up to 2,500 TEU.