CMA CGM has resumed transits through the Suez Canal barely 10 days after suspending passage on the Red Sea route on 28 February 2026. The Asia-Med Phoenician Express (PHOEX/BEX2) service operated by CMA CGM with ships of 13,00-16,000 teu returned to the Suez on 11 March 2026 on both the eastbound and westbound voyages after just 1 ship was redirected to the Cape of Good Hope due to security situation in the Middle East. CMA CGM also announced the resumption of cargo bookings to the Middle East
Container vessel traffic in the Middle East remains unaffected by the escalation in the Israel-Iran conflict since 13 June with carriers maintaining their scheduled calls at Middle East Gulf and Israeli ports, while Suez transits have also been retained. Zim affirmed the continuation of its services to the Israeli ports of Ashdod and Haifa while CMA CGM is still proceeding to reroute 3 of their Europe-Indian subcontinent/Far East ships through the Suez this month despite the rising tensions. How
The escalation of the Iran-Israel conflict in the Middle East has sparked fears of a potential disruption to vessel traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. The impact on the container markets will be far less severe compared to the tanker and LNG markets, as the Middle East Gulf is mostly an import market with very little exports of any strategic importance that are shipped in containers. Middle East Gulf ports located north of the Strait of Hormuz handled a total of 29m teu of containers in 2023, acc