STF Shipping starts operations in the East Asia-Russian Far East shipping sector
STF Shipping, a recently incorporated company based in Hong Kong, has commenced operations in the East Asia-Russian Far East shipping sector, joining several Russia-focused operators despite ongoing downward pressure on freight rates.
The company has rolled out five new services on the China-Russian Far East route, taking over operations from CStar Line, which exited the market in August. STF, which stands for Safety, Timeliness, and Flexibility, has established its headquarters in Shanghai, with agency offices located in Ningbo, Seoul, Vladivostok, and Nakhodka.
Incorporated in December 2023, STF Shipping is owned by Chinese national Yu Pengshen. According to Linerlytica, the company operates six containerships ranging from 1,100 to 2,200 TEU, previously operated by CStar Line.
The new services include:
STF-1: Operating on a 14-day cycle, calling at Dalian, Xingang, and Vostochny, using the 1,170 TEU Xin Hua Yuan.
STF-2 Loop 1: Deploying the 1,744 TEU Xin Long Yun 89 on a 10-day interval between Rizhao and Vostochny.
STF-2 Loop 2: Utilizing the 1,118 TEU Xin Long Yun 88 for 10-day calls between Ningbo and Vostochny.
STF-3 Loop 1: Employing the 2,206 TEU Mao Gang Quan Zhou and Mao Gang Guang Zhou, with weekly sailings on a 14-day route from Yantian to Vostochny.
STF-3 Loop 2: Using the 1,118 TEU Xin Long Yun 16 to connect Busan, Shanghai, and Vostochny.
Despite the decrease in East Asia-Russian Far East freight rates—currently around $1,600 per TEU, down from $2,300 last month—new entrants and established operators continue to launch additional services.
In a related development, Fesco introduced an intra-Asia service on 17 August, connecting Port Klang and Ho Chi Minh City, with subsequent links to its Russian services through Ho Chi Minh City for northbound shipments to Vladivostok and through Port Klang for westbound routes to Novorossiysk and St. Petersburg.
