Container Lines Speed Up Their Return to the Suez Canal

Container shipping lines are moving more services back to the Suez Canal, and analysts now expect the shift to be largely complete by the first quarter of 2027, according to industry reporting in mid-October 2026.

How far the return has gone

A report published by the World Ports Organization on 15 October, citing BIMCO and Linerlytica, said:

• BIMCO counts routing changes affecting 16 services since early July.
• Weekly container ship capacity through Suez averaged 753,000 TEU in the first two weeks of October, against 1.457 million TEU in the same period of 2023. That takes traffic above half of pre-disruption levels for the first time.
• Suez handled 36 per cent of the capacity routed either through the canal or around the Cape of Good Hope in early October, up from an average of 8 per cent between 2024 and mid-2026.
• All four main carrier groupings now run regular westbound Asia to North Europe services through Suez.

The Suez Canal Authority recorded 166 transits by medium and large container ships from July to September 2026, against 16 a year earlier, the report added. BIMCO chief shipping analyst Niels Rasmussen estimated that rerouting had lifted global container ship demand by about 10 per cent, adding that "that increase is now reducing quickly."

Kuehne+Nagel's news service, citing Linerlytica, reported that the number of container ships diverted around the Cape had fallen to 180, the lowest since January 2024. Of the services Linerlytica tracks, 30 of 52 westbound and 32 of 57 eastbound loops are back on the Suez route.

A service with an Indian call

On 18 October, Container News reported that CMA CGM and MSC had moved their joint North Europe to Australasia service back through Suez in both directions, cutting the ships needed from 18 to 16. The rotation includes calls at Ennore in India and Colombo in Sri Lanka.

Risk of bunching at European ports

The change is not smooth for everyone. Ports such as Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges are concerned that ships on the shorter route will arrive at the same time as vessels still sailing around Africa, creating surges at terminals. Schedule reliability on Asia to North Europe had already fallen to 35.4 per cent in September from 58.7 per cent in May, the Kuehne+Nagel report said.

Carriers are still deciding routes service by service, and security conditions in the Red Sea remain part of every decision.

Why it matters for transporters and logistics businesses

• Indian exporters to Europe may see shorter transit times on services that return to Suez, but routing changes are service-specific, so confirm each booking with your forwarder or carrier.
• More capacity on Asia to Europe tends to weigh on ocean freight rates, while bunching at European ports can delay empty container returns and cause equipment shortages at Indian gateways.
• Container truckers and freight stations near ports should watch for uneven vessel arrivals as schedules reset. Find cargo and warehousing providers and transporters on BizGrowthUp.

Source: World Ports Organization; Container News; Kuehne+Nagel (myKN)