ONE realigns its China-Red Sea service, exiting RCS for RC2 slot access, enhancing operational efficiency and port coverage.
Ocean Network Express (ONE) has announced a strategic realignment of its China-Red Sea service arrangements, signaling a deliberate reconfiguration of its regional deployment to strengthen operational efficiency and port coverage across this key trade corridor.
Under the revised structure, ONE will withdraw from the RCS service - currently operated in slot-sharing cooperation with Global Feeder Shipping, Wan Hai Lines, and TS Lines - and transition to a slot purchase arrangement on the RES/CRX service, jointly operated by Sinolines and Sinokor Merchant Marine. ONE will market this capacity to the trade under the commercial designation RC2.
Service Structure Realignment: From RCS to RES/CRX Slot Access
The adjustment represents a change in slot-charter partnership and routing arrangement, rather than the independent deployment of ONE-operated tonnage. Under the RC2 banner, ONE will continue to access the service as a slot charterer, offering customers consistent coverage across the China-Red Sea trade lane under a newly designated commercial product.
The RC2 service will maintain calls at the three principal Red Sea gateways - Jeddah, Aqaba, and Sokhna - preserving continuity of destination coverage for cargo owners and freight forwarders serving these markets. On the China side, however, the port rotation undergoes meaningful revision: Qingdao and Shenzhen Shekou will no longer feature in the itinerary, while Ningbo is introduced as a new port of call.
The revised RC2 rotation is structured as follows: Shanghai - Ningbo - Nansha - Jeddah - Aqaba - Sokhna - Shanghai.
This reconfiguration consolidates the China-side coverage into a three-port framework of Shanghai, Ningbo, and Nansha - replacing the previous multi-port combination spanning both North and South China.
Implications for Shippers and Freight Forwarders
For cargo interests currently routing China-Red Sea shipments via ONE, the most immediate operational impact concerns origin port selection. Ningbo-origin cargo gains new direct coverage under RC2, positioning the service to serve a broader base of exporters from the Yangtze Delta region. Conversely, shippers planning departures from Qingdao or Shekou are advised to engage ONE directly to confirm revised booking arrangements, transshipment options, and transit time implications under the new structure.
ONE has not yet published the RC2 effective commencement date, the inaugural vessel assignment, or the confirmed weekly sailing schedule. Shippers with near-term cargo commitments to Jeddah, Aqaba, or Sokhna are urged to monitor official sailing notices and booking advisories issued by ONE's local offices, and to adjust their transportation plans accordingly to maintain supply chain continuity.
