The Suez Canal is experiencing a continued rise in containership transits as more carriers grow comfortable with regional security conditions. MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company is the latest carrier to test the route, according to industry analysts Linerlytica, which reported that MSC has sent seven eastward-bound vessels through the canal and Bab el Mandeb in the past two weeks. No official announcement has been made by the carrier, but it appears to be following competitors in returning to the waterway.

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Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd reported last week that they are moving another of their Gemini Cooperation routes back to the Suez Canal. Maersk had already restored services into the Eastern Mediterranean and is now adding a route to Tangier Med in Morocco, as well as additional calls at Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. Linerlytica notes that Maersk has restored over 30 percent of its Cape volumes to the trans-Suez corridor and believes conditions are right for further shifts. Maersk advised customers that the changes follow thorough security assessments, highlighting benefits such as shorter distances, quicker transits, and greater sustainability, as well as cost reductions amid a dramatic rise in fuel prices this year.

CMA CGM has been at the forefront of restoring routes, maintaining some transits even during more challenging periods by working with the EUNAVFOR operation, which escorted vessels in the Red Sea. The Suez Canal Authority has highlighted recent transits of several of CMA CGM’s largest and newest vessels, including the CMA CGM Saint Germain, CMA CGM Notre Dame, and CMA CGM Vendome, each in the 24,000 TEU category. On August 18, Suez Canal Authority Chairman Osama Rabie met with CMA CGM representatives, with discussions described as positive. Since the start of 2026, the authority reports that 199 CMA CGM ships carrying 5.2 million tons of cargo have transited the canal, compared with 212 ships and 18.8 million tons for the full year of 2025. During the meeting, CMA CGM’s Executive Vice President for Assets and Operations, Christine Kaboo, affirmed the group’s commitment to increasing transit navigation through the canal, with expectations of continued growth in the number of ships on various services.

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https://www.indexbox.io/blog/msc-returns-to-suez-canal-as-carriers-expand-red-sea-transits/