Suez Transits Are Up 59%, and Rates Are About to Fall
Carriers Have Returned to Suez, and the Data Confirms It Maritime media sources state that container shipping is moving from a capacity shortage to a surplus as carriers return to Suez and shorter voyages free up ships. Windward MIOC data supports this claim. Suez containership transits rose 59% from March to September, from 139 to ...
The number of container ship transits through the Suez Canal has surged 59% from March to September, according to Windward MIOC data. Large ships, measuring 300m and above, have especially increased, with transits rising from 22 to 127 a month. By August, most of these large vessels were heading to Asian markets, cutting one to two weeks off each round trip compared to the longer Africa-to-Europe route.
This return to the Suez Canal is expected to lead to a capacity surplus in Q4 2026, with more ships available than cargo. As a result, carriers are likely to compete for bookings and lower prices to fill empty space on their vessels. A strike against Western carriers using Bab el-Mandeb, however, could push traffic back around Africa and reverse the trend.
Written by urgent.news from Hellenic Shipping News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
