Maersk to restart Middle East-US shipping through Suez Canal

Global shipping giant Maersk announced Thursday it will restart its Middle East-to-U.S. East Coast service through the Suez Canal. This decision marks another step in the Danish company's efforts to re-establish routes through the Red Sea, which have been disrupted by Houthi attacks.

Many shipping companies had previously diverted vessels around Africa's Cape of Good Hope to avoid the Red Sea corridor after attacks by Yemen's Houthis. Maersk's return to the Suez route is expected to offer substantial improvements in transit times. The company stated that westbound journeys will be shortened by an average of seven days, while eastbound sailings could be up to 14 days faster.

This resumption follows Maersk's announcement earlier in the week that it would restart some Suez Canal sailings under its Gemini cooperation network with Germany's Hapag-Lloyd. The company has also experienced disruptions in other Middle East services due to the Iran conflict, with some vessels facing restrictions entering or leaving the Gulf.

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By making the structural change of returning to the trans-Suez route for the MECL service, we will offer significantly improved transit times.