Are Ships Returning to the Suez Canal?

One of the questions we are being asked more often is: Are container ships starting to return to the Suez Canal?

The short answer is yes, but we are not back to normal.

More containerships are beginning to use the Suez Canal and Red Sea corridor again, although volumes remain well below historical levels.

MSC has recently been testing the route, with seven eastbound vessels reported to have transited the Suez Canal and Bab el-Mandeb over a two-week period. Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are also moving more services back through Suez, while CMA CGM has continued to increase its use of the canal.

For shipping lines and their customers, the benefits are significant. Using the Suez route rather than sailing around the Cape of Good Hope can mean shorter transit times, reduced sailing distances and lower fuel consumption, particularly important while bunker prices remain elevated.

But security remains the key consideration.

Carriers are not simply switching services back overnight. Decisions about returning to the Red Sea are being made carefully and can change as the security situation develops.

For Australian importers and exporters, this is particularly important when planning shipments between Asia, Europe and other markets using the Suez corridor. A service that is operating via Suez today may not necessarily continue to do so if conditions change.

So, are we seeing a return to Suez?

Yes.

Are we back to normal?

Definitely not.

And when it comes to freight planning, that distinction matters.