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Don't think that only long-distance routes such as the US West Coast and Asia Europe can make money. Some shipping companies that operate Southeast Asian routes are quietly making a fortune! #Port # Terminal # Southeast Asia # Manufacturing Transfer # Haifeng International # Container Shipping
Which route do you think shipping companies make the most money on? Many people's first reaction is that it must be long-distance routes such as the US West Coast and Asia Europe. Not necessarily! In fact, some shipping companies specializing in Southeast Asian routes are quietly making a fortune.
Firstly, the container cargo volume of intra Asian routes accounts for nearly one-third of the global total, which is larger than that of the US and European routes. In recent years, with the shift of manufacturing to Southeast Asia, the trade volume between China and ASEAN has exceeded 1 trillion US dollars for the first time in 2025. The total trade volume in the first eight months of 2026 is about 887.5 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 20.6%,With the changing trend of trade, it can be foreseen that the demand for cargo volume on Southeast Asian routes will further increase in the future。
Secondly,Another major feature of Southeast Asian routes is the ability to revisit and returnChina exports electronic components, mechanical parts, etc. to Southeast Asia for local factories to process and assemble, while Southeast Asia exports rubber, wood, fruits, and assembled semi-finished products to China. If the shipping company is budget conscious, it can achieve repeat operations on Southeast Asian routes and ensure profitability.
Taking Haifeng International, which focuses on intra Asian routes, as an example, its net profit was 1.034 billion US dollars in 2024, 1.23 billion US dollars in 2025, and 680 million US dollars in the first half of 2026, increasing year by year.
However, not everyone can accept this wealth and prosperity. Having money and ships alone is not enough. Many ports in Southeast Asia have shallow draft berths, tight berths, and uneven loading and unloading efficiency. Established players have already secured ports, yards, and warehousing logistics resources in the local area, with extremely strong moats. Many players who followed the trend were defeated in the low price war.
If you were a shipping company, would you choose to expand and strengthen your long-distance routes, or focus on developing small and refined short haul routes within your region? Let's chat in the comment section.
