Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk has completed its first container ship passage through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea since early 2024, marking a cautious step towards resuming navigation on the critical East-West corridor via the Suez Canal. 

The vessel involved, the Singapore-flagged Maersk Sebarok, successfully made the transit on Thursday and Friday and is currently en route to the United States, according to Maersk’s press office.

Maersk’s return to the Red Sea comes after the company, alongside many global competitors, withdrew its ships from the region following a series of armed attacks by Yemen’s Houthi movement in early 2024. The Houthi group, backed by Iran, had targeted international merchant vessels, particularly those linked to Israel, as a show of support for Palestinians amid conflict in Gaza.

Despite the successful transit, Maersk emphasized that this does not signal an immediate full-scale return to the trans-Suez corridor. “Whilst this is a significant step forward, it does not mean that we are at a point where we are considering a wider East-West network change back to the trans-Suez corridor,” the company stated. Maersk is adopting a “stepwise approach” to potentially resuming broader operations, with the current focus on monitoring developments and ensuring security thresholds are maintained. 

No additional sailings through the Red Sea are currently planned.

For now, Maersk’s trial voyage with the Maersk Sebarok stands as a noteworthy development for the global shipping industry, but the company remains cautious. “We are closely monitoring developments and exploring opportunities for a safe and sustainable return to East-West Suez transit. We can now share that an initial transit has successfully been completed,” Maersk said. 

The industry will be watching closely for further updates as security conditions and market dynamics continue to evolve.