CMA CGM Leads Cautious Reentry into Suez Canal as Major Lines Delay Their Departures

CMA CGM's INDAMEX service to resume full loop via Suez Canal

CMA CGM has edged ahead of its rivals by announcing that its INDAMEX service will resume using both fronthaul and backhaul legs of the Suez Canal, signaling its return to Red Sea corridor operations. CMA CGM's announcement on 5 December 2025 positions them as early movers in restoring east west container flows through this waterway after months of diversions around Cape of Good Hope.

CMA CGM's announcement revealed its intent to restore full capacity operations via the Suez Canal from December 2025 following successful trial transits earlier in November, which were seen as evidence of their renewed confidence in this route. Their reinstated INDAMEX rotation aims to reconnect key Indian Subcontinent and US trades via traditional routes using Suez, thus decreasing transit times versus Cape detour and fuel consumption for these loops.

CMA CGM and market observers alike remain mindful of the security concerns in the southern Red Sea and Bab al Mandab area, specifically with regard to merchant shipping threats in these regions. Industry risk assessments continue to address how capable or intend armed groups might be at targeting commercial tonnage; CMA CGM has taken measures such as increased security protocols and monitoring as more vessels enter these waters again.

Maersk and Hapag Lloyd acknowledge there is no fixed timeframe for Suez's return.

Contrary to CMA CGM s announcement, Maersk and Hapag Lloyd have not committed to an exact timetable for rerouting their east west networks through the Suez Canal. While previously, the Suez Canal Authority issued a strategic partnership framework envisaging Maersk affliliated vessels through early December 2025, Maersk has made clear any such move remains contingent upon demonstrably improved security conditions.

Maersk and Hapag Lloyd recently revealed that Maersk's Gemini network, launched in February 2025 in cooperation, is deliberately designed around Cape of Good Hope routing to mitigate against disruptions in the Red Sea. Company statements stress that safety issues still outweigh potential schedule or cost advantages associated with shorter Suez routes; no specific timing has been set for switching back to one with east/west service routes.

The carrier duo has signaled their intent to closely track ceasefire progress in Gaza and wider regional security developments, and any future shift to Suez would require careful coordination with customers to preserve schedule reliability. Their position highlights a discrepancy between public expectations for an immediate reopening and major liner operators' more calculated risk calculation even as political and canal authorities work toward increasing transit volumes more quickly.

Market analysts anticipate a gradual capacity expansion with short term rate volatility.

Market intelligence groups and freight analysts are cautioning shippers that even as individual services like CMA CGM's INDAMEX resume Suez routes, a full scale return of global container fleet is unlikely in the short term. Linerlytica does not anticipate that complete restoration of Suez routings in two months; nor Maersk nor Hapag Lloyd are currently scheduled to deploy vessels through this canal despite earlier announcements.

Analysts anticipate that as additional loops reroute through Suez, European and Mediterranean ports could experience periods of bunching and congestion due to ships arriving seven to ten days earlier than on Cape routings, potentially tightening effective capacity, driving freight rates higher and potentially increasing queues before underlying deployed capacity on Asia Europe corridors begins to normalise again. Analysts project that seasonal timing around Lunar New Year demand surge will amplify these effects and extend schedule normalisation window up to two months

At the same time, broader Suez Canal transit statistics for 2025 indicate that container ship passages remain near their lowest weekly levels for the year - reflecting continued reliance by carriers on Cape of Good Hope detour. Although trial voyages and limited loop restoration projects are beginning to increase again at various speeds across alliances and trades, resulting in uneven returns that complicate planning by shippers for predictable lead times into European and North American markets.

Suez Canal Authority works hard to restore carrier trust.

Suez Canal Authority has taken an active part in recent weeks in trying to rebuild global liner operator trust by emphasizing agreements with leading carriers and promoting it as a safe and efficient corridor as security conditions change. Their communications regarding Maersk s partnership agreement for staged return of Maersk-affiliated vessels starting December 2025 form part of an overall campaign designed to reinstate Suez's central place within east west container trades following an extended period of disruption.

However, the contrast between public statements from the authority and more cautious messaging from Maersk and Hapag Lloyd highlights the difficulty regulators and route planners face in their duties. While regulators and route planners may have an incentive to accelerate a rebound in transits and toll revenues quickly, carriers remain motivated by operational risk assessments, insurance requirements and providing schedule reliability to cargo owners. As a result, 2026 network planning cycles should account for multiple routings as contingency options rather than simply returning to pre crisis Suez patterns.

Early December 2025 developments point towards a multispeed recovery in Suez Canal usage for maritime stakeholders. Early movers such as CMA CGM will test out how best to balance restored efficiency with residual risk while other majors hold back and watch. Port authorities, terminal operators, bunkering hubs and logistics networks along both Suez and Cape routes must remain agile as traffic patterns gradually adjust in coming months.