Maersk Expects All Services to Return to Suez Canal by March 2027
Maersk expects to restore all its services through the Suez Canal by March 2027, after its ship transits rose to 276 voyages in nine months.
The Suez Canal Authority stated that Maersk expects to restore all its services through the canal by March 2027, indicating a recovery in navigation through the waterway in the coming period.
The Authority explained that Maersk ships recorded 276 transits through the canal with a net tonnage of 23.3 million tons during the period from January to September 2026, compared to 146 transits and 7 million tons in the corresponding period last year.
The World Ports Organization quoted Rabab Boulos, Chief Operating Officer at Maersk, as saying that the Suez Canal is the company's preferred route, a statement reflecting growing confidence in the stability of the route.
The return of services to Suez is significant for global supply chains because it shortens transit time between Asia and Europe and reduces fuel and insurance costs, but it also means the return of available capacity to the market, affecting freight rates.
What do these terms mean?
Net Tonnage: A unit measuring the usable volume of a ship, used in traffic statistics for canals and ports.
Cape of Good Hope Route: An alternative maritime route that goes around the continent of Africa, increasing transit time compared to the Suez Canal.
Shipping Capacity: The total space or payload available on ships for transporting containers or cargo.
Weekly Newsletter
Read between the lines before everyone else. Decode the most important economic, tech, and decision-maker movements in the region.. in 5 minutes every Saturday.
