RCL profit falls as Middle East conflict weighs on volumes

Regional Container Lines (RCL) reported lower earnings for the first half of 2026, as disruption linked to the Middle East conflict affected the intra-Asia carrier’s container volumes.

RCL generated freight income of THB 18.6 billion (US$557 million) during the January-June period. In Thai baht terms, this represented a 1.3% increase compared with the first half of 2025.

However, operating profit declined 9% to THB 4 billion (US$120 million), while net profit fell 10% to THB 3.65 billion (US$109.7 million).

Container volumes fall 8%

The Middle East situation weighed on RCL’s cargo volumes during the period.

The carrier handled approximately 1.21 million TEU in the first half of 2026, down 8% from 1.32 million TEU a year earlier.

At the same time, revenue per TEU increased 8% to US$459 from US$427. Operating profit per TEU slipped 3% to US$99.

RCL’s operating margin declined to 21.6% from 23.9% in the first half of 2025.

Q2 volumes decline sharply

In the second quarter, RCL handled 562,000 TEU, compared with 662,000 TEU in the corresponding period last year.

Revenue nevertheless increased to US$299 million from US$290 million, supported by a significant increase in revenue per container. Revenue per TEU climbed to US$532 from US$438.

Operating profit declined to US$64 million from US$73 million, while net profit fell to US$58 million from US$64 million.

The second-quarter operating margin stood at 21.4%, down from 25.1% a year earlier.

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