Container ship traffic through the Suez Canal continues to recover, with the Suez Canal Authority reporting 72.1 million net tons of container vessel transits during the first eight months of 2026. According to the authority, major carriers including CMA CGM, Maersk, MSC, Hapag-Lloyd, and COSCO have resumed using the canal to varying degrees.
Not all ocean carriers have returned. According to Matthew Burgess, Shipco’s Vice President, LCL USA, Premier Alliance members ONE, HMM and Yang Ming, along with Evergreen, remain the primary lines continuing to avoid the Red Sea route.
Recent analysis from Sea-Intelligence indicates that the share of Asia-Europe capacity moving through the Red Sea and Suez Canal remains relatively stable on the headhaul trade, ranging between 13% and 25%. “Shipping lines have ramped up the share of capacity routed through Suez on the back-haul (Europe to Asia), from 18-26% in August to 25-47% in September,” said Alan Murphy, CEO, Sea-Intelligence, adding that approximately 27% of the normal Asia-Europe capacity is expected to transit the Suez Canal in September.
Sea-Intelligences analysis suggested that ocean carriers are prioritizing are prioritizing the return of vessel capacity to Asia following widespread congestion and delays across Asian hubs. Services originating in the Mediterranean are being favored because they have the fastest transit back to Asia. Sea-Intelligence data shows that 57% of Mediterranean-Asia capacity is expected to transit the Red Sea in September, compared with 27% of capacity from North Europe.
These developments come as severe congestion continues to absorb vessel capacity across East Asia. As reported by Shipco, record port congestion in East Asia has tied up an estimated 4.3 million TEUs of vessel capacity, creating additional pressure on global shipping networks.
While the Suez route offers significant distance and transit-time savings compared with voyages around the Cape of Good Hope, security concerns remain a key consideration. As reported by gCaptain, the situation around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait continues to present operational risks.
BIMCO observed that a return to Suez transits would deliver financial benefits for carriers, although it could also reduce container ship demand by as much as 10%.
Source: Suez Canal Authority, Sea-Intelligence, gCaptain