Container shipping lines are steadily moving their Asia–Europe services back to the Suez Canal after months of long detours around Africa.
The numbers
- Analysts at Linerlytica estimate about 140 container ships, carrying just over 2 million TEU of capacity, have shifted from the Cape of Good Hope route back to Suez since May.
- Almost all major ocean carriers were preparing to resume Suez transits on Asia–Europe sailings, The Loadstar reported in early October.
- The Premier Alliance has vessels booked through the Red Sea from November.
- Freightos expects transits to recover fully during the first quarter of 2027.
Freight rates
On 20 October, the Freightos Baltic Index put Asia–North Europe spot rates at $3,442 per FEU and Asia–Mediterranean at $3,927 per FEU, up 6% and 3% on the week respectively.
Not risk-free
The return is uneven. Security around the Bab el-Mandeb strait remains contested, and routes can change at short notice. Shippers are advised to treat a Suez schedule as a plan until the ship has actually transited.
What it means for Bangladesh
Much of Bangladesh’s garment exports to Europe move on Asia–Europe services via transhipment hubs. Shorter routings through Suez could mean faster transit times for exporters, though any rate relief will depend on how quickly capacity settles.
Based on a market update by MIDTRANS citing Freightos, Linerlytica and The Loadstar (26 October 2026).
Photo: Aah-Yeah / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (file photo)
