EMEA News
Suez Canal Seeks Prompt Return of Container Ship Transits
The Suez Canal is exploring ways to pursue container lines to return to canal transits, emphasising the calmness in the Red Sea region.
The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) will intensify discussions with major container lines in the upcoming period to discuss ways for prompt return, Admiral Ossama Rabiee, Chairman of the SCA, said on Saturday.
This may include trial transits, partial resumption, or a phased full return, he added.
Rabiee highlighted the recent transit of a large CMA CGM container ship as a positive sign.
The CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin had passed through the canal for the first time since October 2023, following the Houthi attacks on commercial vessels that prompted many lines to avoid the route.
Meanwhile, Yemen's Houthi movement has signalled a halt to attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
The attacks, which began in late 2023, forced many vessels to reroute around Africa instead of using the shorter Suez passage, driving up bunker consumption.
A full-scale return to the canal could reduce this elevated demand.
While the Houthis have indicated a pause in their Red Sea offensive, it remains to be seen whether container lines will trust the situation enough to commit to a full-scale return.
