Major container lines to resume Asia-Europe services via Suez Canal

· Logistics · Taiwan · Germany

The mainline container operators look set to return to Suez Canal transits for their Asia–North Europe and Asia–Mediterranean services. Evergreen will join its Ocean Alliance partners in restarting Suez crossings this week, while Yang Ming and HMM will join their Premier Alliance partners. Separately, the Gemini partners said all vessels on their ME1/IOS India–North Europe loop are operated by Hapag-Lloyd, which observers see as pointing to a broader shift in the carrier's risk assessment of the Red Sea corridor. The moves unwind the long detours around the Cape of Good Hope that added sailing days and absorbed vessel capacity, and they signal carriers now judge the Red Sea route safe enough to use again.

Why it matters：A full return to Suez shortens transit times and frees vessel capacity, which could ease freight rates that have been propped up by Red Sea diversions and reshape Asia–Europe schedules for shippers and forwarders.

Key points

  • Evergreen joins Ocean Alliance partners in restarting Suez transits this week.
  • Yang Ming and HMM will follow their Premier Alliance partners.
  • All vessels on Gemini's ME1/IOS loop are operated by Hapag-Lloyd.

Sources (original reporting)

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