Ports

Rail Bottlenecks in China Redirect South Korea-Russia Container Traffic to Ocean Routes

Congestion on major Chinese rail corridors is driving maritime transport growth on the South Korea-Russia lane, with carriers moving to deploy larger vessels to handle demand. Busan-Vladivostok container volumes reached 33,000 teu in August, with exports totaling 8,000 teu, and held steady in September as shippers accelerated shipments ahead of regional holidays. September exports reached 8,800 teu, up 10% from August. Freight rates on the route have surged to $1,700 per teu from $1,500 in August, reflecting widespread cargo rollovers and capacity constraints. The spike follows typhoon disruptions at Chinese hub ports in August, which overwhelmed rail infrastructure at Lianyungang, Qingdao and Tianjin. Dong Young Shipping and other carriers are now evaluating larger vessel deployments to increase slot availability and manage elevated shipper demand.