166 Container Ships Transit Suez in Q3 Compared to 16 a Year Ago

The number of medium and large container ships transiting the Suez Canal rose to 166 in the third quarter of 2026, compared to 16 ships in the same period of 2025, according to data from the Suez Canal Authority.

Total net tonnage for those vessels climbed to 29 million net tons from 2.4 million tons a year ago, reflecting a gradual return of container traffic through the Egyptian waterway.

The authority stated that Hapag-Lloyd intends to add transits through the canal alongside two services already operating between Asia and Europe, during a meeting between SCA Chairman Osama Rabie and the company's director for the South Europe region, Juan Pablo Richards, in Ismailia.

The authority projects 10,750 transits by deep-draft vessels and revenues of $5.56 billion in 2027, while Maersk expects all of its services to return to the canal by March 2027, according to a report by Food Business Middle East Africa.

What do these terms mean?

Suez Canal: An Egyptian waterway connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, shortening the shipping route between Asia and Europe.

Net Tonnage: A unit of measurement for a vessel's volume or capacity, used to compare maritime traffic.

Draft: The distance between the waterline and the lowest point of the ship's hull; a deeper draft indicates a larger vessel.

Container Ship: A vessel designed to carry standardized metal boxes transported between ports.