Maersk Resumes Suez Canal Route From Middle East to US

Maersk, one of the world's biggest container shipping groups, said on Thursday it would resume its Middle East-to-U.S. East Coast service through the Suez Canal, as the Danish group takes another step toward restoring routes through the Red Sea.

Most shipping companies abandoned the Asia-Europe trade corridor through the Suez Canal after attacks in the Red Sea by Yemen's Houthis, forcing vessels to take the much longer route around Africa's Cape of Good Hope. Some carriers have recently begun considering a gradual return to the corridor.

"By making the structural change of returning to the trans-Suez route for the MECL service, we will offer significant improved transit times," Maersk said in a statement.

The company said westbound transit times would improve by an average of seven days, while eastbound sailings would be up to 14 days faster.

Maersk said on Monday that it would resume some sailings through the Suez Canal under its Gemini cooperation network with Germany's Hapag-Lloyd.

Maersk has also faced disruption to other services in the Middle East during the Iran war, with some vessels unable to enter or leave the Gulf.

(Reuters)