OOCL has joined the container lines, cautiously returning to the Suez Canal.
The OOCL Portugal, a 24,188-TEU vessel deployed on the Ocean Alliance NEU2 service between the Far East and Northwest Europe, made a southbound transit on 16 September while sailing from Belgium to China. The passage marks OOCL’s first ship to use the canal since the Red Sea crisis prompted widespread diversions around the Cape of Good Hope.
The move adds momentum to a broader, but still measured, restoration of Suez routings. CMA CGM, MSC, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have resumed services to varying degrees, while COSCO is reportedly reinstating several routes, including shared services with CMA CGM.
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are also shifting four more Gemini Cooperation services - AE5, AE11, AE12 and ME2 - back to the corridor, following the earlier return of AE15 and AE19.
For carriers, routing via Suez shortens Asia–Europe voyages, reducing transit times, fuel consumption and vessel requirements. For the canal, the renewed activity is reflected in rising volumes: container ship net tonnage reached 72.1 million tons in the first eight months of 2026, up 54.2% year on year.
On the day of OOCL Portugal’s passage, 39 ships carrying a combined 2.3 million net tons transited the canal.
OOCL passed the Suez Canal on September 16th
However, the recovery remains exposed to an unstable security environment. Houthi forces have expanded their presence near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, including around Mocha and nearby islands. Although their declared restrictions currently focus on Saudi-linked shipping, carriers continue to stress that further Suez deployments depend on regional stability and may be reversed if risks escalate.
