Back to the Red Sea! Resumption of Suez Canal Operations

Release time： 2026-01-21 Browsing：181次

Recently, Maersk announced that vessels operating the MECL service will resume transit through the Red Sea and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, with its MECL service set to make a structural return to the trans-Suez route. The Ocean Alliance has also adjusted its routes, and the FAL1 service has resumed eastbound shipments via the Suez Canal. Since the beginning of 2024, most shipping companies have diverted their routes due to attacks by Yemen's Houthi armed forces. On January 15th, Maersk made the decision to return after two of its cargo vessels successfully transited the area. Starting from January, certain voyages of the MECL service will adopt the trans-Suez Canal route, and the resumption of shipping will help release transport capacity. However, full recovery may take a long time, and the return could cause fluctuations in the supply chain. Hapag-Lloyd has not rushed to resume transits for the time being, possibly due to customer concerns and uncertainties over insurance premiums. Although more than 100 days have passed since the last attack, the shipping capacity of the Suez Canal in the first week of this year was still 60% lower than that in the first week of 2023, indicating that the shipping industry still has a long way to go before a full return.