The number of container ships passing through the Suez Canal has increased to 36 percent of the total capacity of all maritime routes in early October 2026. This figure represents a significant growth compared to the average of 8 percent between 2024 and mid-2026. These developments have occurred following shipping companies' decisions to reroute to the Suez Canal due to decreasing tensions in the region.
Impact of Attacks and Route Changes
In November 2023, Ansar Allah of Yemen announced its intention to target Israeli ships in the Red Sea, which created insecurity in the region. To prevent attacks, container lines began rerouting ships towards the Cape of Good Hope starting in December 2023. In this context, the weekly capacity of container ships in the Suez Canal decreased to 330,000 TEU, which is significantly lower than the annual average of 1,290,000 TEU.
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Return to Normal Routes
From early February 2024 to mid-2026, the capacity of container ships passing through the Suez Canal has averaged 141,000 TEU per week, equivalent to 11 percent of the capacity recorded during the same weeks in 2023. However, as of July 6, 2026, the G6 Alliance (including Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd partners) announced that it would return its AE15/SE3 services, which relate to Asia and the Mediterranean, to the Suez Canal. This decision accelerated the return to normal routes.
Overall, since early July, changes have been made in 16 maritime services, including the return of five additional services to normal routes. These changes indicate a gradual increase in ship traffic in the Suez Canal, although there is still a long way to go to reach 80 percent of the capacity before the onset of attacks. Additionally, the capacity of northbound ships in the third quarter was only 75 percent of the capacity of southbound ships, but it increased to 81 percent in the early weeks of October.
In general, estimates indicate that the rerouting from the Suez Canal has increased global demand for container ships by about 10 percent. This increase is rapidly declining, but along with the return to the Suez Canal, increased congestion in Asian ports also affects supply and demand dynamics.
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