Large container-vessel transits rose more than tenfold in the third quarter of 2026, signaling that major shipping lines are returning to one of the world’s most important trade corridors.
In the third quarter of 2026, 166 medium-sized and large containerships of more than 130,000 tons transited the canal, according to the Suez Canal Authority (SCA).
In the same period of 2025, only 16 vessels in these categories transited.
The rise comes as CMA CGM expands its return to the Suez route.
Together, these developments show renewed confidence in the waterway among carriers and the cargo owners who depend on them.
The tonnage figures show a similar recovery.
Between July and September 2026, total net tonnage for these large containerships reached 29 million net tons, compared with 2.4 million net tons a year earlier.
That is roughly twelve times the 2025 level.
Net tonnage measures a ship’s usable cargo- carrying volume, not its weight.
For shippers, the return of large vessels matters.
The biggest containerships carry the highest volumes on the main East-West trade lanes.
When these ships use the canal, cargo owners gain access to shorter, more predictable routings between Asia, Europe, and the Mediterranean.
“The Suez Canal holds a strategic significance for containerized trade due to the operational savings it achieves and its promotion of the concept of economies of scale,” said SCA chairman
Admiral Ossama Rabiee.
Economies of scale refer to the lower cost per container that comes from moving more cargo on larger ships.
The SCA announced the figures on Tuesday during talks with CMA CGM leadership.
Admiral Rabiee met Christine Cabau Woehrel, the group’s executive vice president for assets and operations, and Tariq Zaghloul, CEO of CMA CGM’s Egypt and Sudan Cluster.
The discussions centered on two aims:
Strengthening cooperation between the SCA and CMA CGM Encouraging international shipping lines to resume full use of the canal
Admiral Rabiee said the canal remains strategically important to container shipping.
He pointed to savings in transit time and distance, as well as support for economies of scale.
He also stated that the canal can accommodate 100 percent of the global container ship fleet, so no vessel size is excluded from the route.
Admiral Rabiee pointed to the mounting pressure on container lines, citing rising fuel prices.
He also noted that shippers continue to face higher freight rates.
Against this backdrop, he highlighted the canal’s ability to deliver shorter voyage distances and reduced transit times.
These advantages carry real weight for cargo owners.
Shorter voyages can help carriers control fuel costs.
Faster transits can support more reliable delivery schedules and help businesses meet customer commitments.
For freight forwarders planning routes and importers managing inventory and cash flow, a dependable, shorter corridor can bring more predictable lead times.
Christine Cabau Woehrel reaffirmed CMA CGM’s commitment to its longstanding strategic partnership with the SCA.
She said the group is continuing to restore its services through the canal as a permanent and sustainable route.
She also expressed the group’s wish to further strengthen future cooperation with the authority.
The commitment is significant for the wider market.
When a major global carrier frames the Suez route as a lasting part of its network rather than a temporary option, shippers gain a clearer basis for long-term planning.
The canal also welcomed the CMA CGM Pantheon on Tuesday as the giant container ship made its maiden voyage through the waterway.
The vessel, with a net tonnage of 221,000 tons, transited in the northbound convoy after sailing from Morocco en route to Malaysia.
Higher transit numbers, renewed carrier commitments, and the arrival of ultra-large vessels all point in the same as direction.
For shippers focused on cost control, reliability, and dependable schedules, the canal’s recovery is more than a rebound in traffic.
It marks the return of a shorter, more efficient path for global trade.
Asia-Europe container volumes fall 1.7 percent in August
Container volumes from Asia to Europe fell 1.7 percent year on year to 1.82 million TEUS in August, according to data compiled by the Japan Maritime Center from figures provided by Container Trades Statistics (CTS).
The decline marked the trade’s first year-on-year contraction in 10 months.
However, cumulative volumes continued to rise, with shipments reaching a record 14.53 million TEUS between January and August, up 10.2 percent compared with the same period last year.
China and Hong Kong accounted for 1.43 million TEUS shipped to Europe in August, down 2.8 percent year on year.
Volumes from Southeast Asia increased 9.8 percent to 251,551 TEUS, while shipments from other parts of Northeast Asia fell 9.2 percent to 132,131 TEUS.
By destination, North Europe received 1.1 million TEUS, down 4.5 percent year on year.
Volumes to the Western Mediterranean rose 8.2 percent to 364,363 TEUs, Mediterranean declined 2.1 percent to 355,127 TEUs.
Despite August’s contraction, the record year-to-date total indicates that Asia-Europe container trade has maintained growth through the first eight months of the year.
CMA CGM Adjusts Peak Season Surcharges on China-Africa Routes
CMA CGM has issued peak season surcharge (PSS) notices covering select China-Africa trade lanes, encompassing routes to Durban in South Africa, Mombasa in Kenya, and Port Louis in Mauritius.
Applicable rates range from USD 1,000 to USD 1,235 per TEU depending on origin region and route, with effect dates concentrated between 22 and 28 October.
The density of these announcements reflects a pattern of carriers dynamically recalibrating revenue structures in response to shifting supply-demand conditions and capacity allocation across regional trade lanes.
Rate structures vary by origin and destination.
On the Durban lane, cargo originating from South China will be subject to a surcharge of USD 1,050 per TEU, applicable from 22 to 31 October based on bill of lading date, while shipments from North and Central China will attract USD 1,150 per TEU from 28 to 31 October on the same basis.
On the South China and Hong Kong to Mombasa lane, a surcharge of USD 1,000 per TEU applies from 25 October until further notice.
The Far East to Port Louis lane carries the highest rate in this announcement at USD 1,235 per TEU, effective 28 October until further notice.
The Durban lane applies surcharges based on bill of lading date, while the Mombasa and Port Louis lanes are effective from their respective start dates until further notice.
Shippers and freight forwarders should verify not only origin region and applicable dates, but also whether existing quotations already incorporate the PSS.
Peak season surcharges are typically levied in addition to the base ocean freight rate; where a quotation does not explicitly include this component, actual shipping costs may exceed initial budget estimates.
It is advisable to confirm the full cost breakdown with the carrier or booking agent at the time of booking and rate confirmation, in order to avoid disputes arising from ambiguity in surcharge down scope.
Enterprises with imminent shipments on the affected lanes should verify applicable surcharge levels on a shipment-by-shipment basis, cross-referencing origin region, bill of lading date, and specific routing.
Companies Press Ahead with Fleet Expansion as Global Container Order Book Hits Post-2009 High
Recent newbuilding announcements from South Korea’s HMM and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) underscore the sustained commitment among top-tier liner operators to optimise fleet composition and reinforce competitive positioning on core trade lanes through the acquisition of large and ultra-large container vessels.
Against this backdrop, the global container ship order book has climbed to its highest level since 2009, with the concentrated delivery of new tonnage over the coming years set to exert significant influence on the supply-demand equilibrium of the container shipping market
HMM has announced plans to invest approximately KRW 2 trillion (around USD 1.5 billion) in the constraction of eight 13,000 TEU container vessels at HD Hyundai.
The newbuildings will be configured as LNG dual-fuel ships, with construction allocated across HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and HD Hyundai Samho.
Deliveries are scheduled to commence from 2029, with the vessels earmarked for deployment on HMM’s flagship FIM (Far East-India-Mediterranean) service upon entry into operation, with the objective of advancing operational efficiency on a critical trade lane.
Beyond mainlane tonnage, HMM has also acquired four feeder container vessels through a resale agreement, comprising three ships of 2,800 TEU and one of 1,700 TEU.
These feeders will be integrated into emerging regional feeder networks connecting major hub ports, strengthening the company’s hub-and-spoke network capabilities.
HMM has indicated that, inclusive of these transactions, its total planned investment in fleet expansion, logistics infrastructure, and future technology for 2026 has reached approximately KRW 6 trillion (around USD 4.5 billion).
According to the latest data from Alpha liner, HMM currently operates a fleet of 97 container vessels – 72 owned and 25 chartered – with a combined capacity of approximately 1.034 million TEU.
The company additionally holds an order book of 44 newbuild container ships totalling around 325,000 TEU, equivalent to 31.4 percent of its existing fleet capacity.
Market sources indicate that MSC has placed an additional order for 20 ultra-large container vessels of 24,000 TEU at Hengli Heavy Industry, with specific details and delivery schedules yet to be disclosed.
Since the two parties concluded a strategic cooperation agreement in 2024, MSC has commissioned a substantial number of ultra-large container ships at the Chinese yard.
Should the latest report be confirmed, the total number of vessels of 20,000 TEU and the newbuilding activity of MSC and HMM has contributed to further growth in the global container ship order book, which now stands at 16.2 million TEU-equivalent to 46.5 percent of the existing fleet, the highest proportion recorded since 2009.
The elevated order book reflects, on one hand, shipowners’ strategic planning around fleet renewal, capacity deployment on core trade lanes, and medium-to-long-term market positioning; on the other. it signals that the concentrated delivery of new vessels over the coming years will continue to shape the scale of the global container fleet and its supply-demand dynamics.
For freight forwarders and export enterprises, the fleet expansion and service redeployment strategies of leading carriers may bring changes to capacity supply structures, port call arrangements, and sailing schedules. Stakeholders are advised to monitor newbuilding delivery timelines, service deployment plans, and carrier capacity management strategies closely, and to assess booking. and transportation arrangements in advance – taking into account their specific cargo types and destination port requirements – in order to navigate the evolving supply-demand landscape effectively.
Shanghai Retains Four Leading Positions in China's 2026 Aviation Hub Rankings
Shanghai retained four leading positions in an annual assessment of China’s aviation hubs and airport-linked economies, according to the Civil Aviation University of China’s 2026 AIR rankings.
The city ranked first economically among cities served by large airports, and its Pudong New Area led the corresponding district rankings.
Shanghai Pudong International Airport ranked first in both passenger throughput and aircraft movements.
The results come as Shanghai’s two airports reported record traffic.
According to Shanghai Airport Group, Pudong and Hongqiao together handled more than 135 million passenger trips in 2025, up 8.3 percent year-on-year.
Cargo and mail throughput reached about 4.5 million metric tons, up 7.9 percent.
Both figures were record highs.
The combined route network of the two airports reached 302 destinations across 54 countries, and the number of countries served hit a record high.
The group said new intercontinental destinations included Belgrade, Casablanca, Geneva and Buenos Aires.
The 2026 AIR rankings are based on 2025 data and cover the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.
The university’s Aviation Institute for Research in Economics and Development and a research center for high-quality civil aviation development jointly released the rankings.
The assessment measures both airport traffic and the economic strength of surrounding areas.
Airports are grouped by traffic volume, and within each category, associated cities and districts are ranked by GDP.
Pudong New led the large-airport district category with GDP of 1.88 trillion yuan ($281.6 billion).
Beijing’s Chaoyang district, Tianjin’s Binhai New Area and Chongqing’s Liangjiang New Area followed.
As a result, Chines four municipalities held all four Leading Positions.
Air cargo grew strongly across the airports in the report.
Cargo and mail throughput rose by about 8.9 percent, compared with passenger growth of 4.7 percent.
Hong Kong International Airport topped the cargo ranking followed by Shanghai Pudong and Guangzhou Baiyun.
Jiangsu and Guangdong ranked first and second in the provincial rankings.
Zhejiang over took Shandong to rank third after airports opened in Lishui and Jiaxing.
The provincial rankings measure the combined GDP of airport-linked cities, not entire provincial economies.
The report found stronger economic growth in the areas it covered.
The cities assessed generated a combined GDP of 117.28 trillion yuan in 2025, up 6.2 percent, compared with national growth of 5 percent.
The districts assessed recorded a combined GDP of 20.93 trillion yuan, up 7.4 percent.
These figures reflect the over- all economies of the areas assessed.
They do not measure aviation’s direct contribution to economic output.
The researchers said China’s civil aviation industry is shifting from expansion toward quality and efficiency.
They said turning air traffic into greater economic value will require closer cooperation between the aviation industry and local governments, with development tailored to local conditions.
COSCO Shipping Ports Throughput
COSCO Shipping Ports handled 11.04 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) across its global terminal portfolio in September 2026, up 15.7% from the same month last year.
The result extends a year of steady volume growth for the terminal operator.
Overseas terminals and several major Chinese port clusters posted double-digit monthly gains.
September’s performance lifted the company’s total container throughput for January to September to 93.91 million TEUs, up 8.5% year on year.
Third-quarter throughput reached 32.60 million TEUS, up 9.2% year on year.
Quarterly growth running ahead of the year-to-date pace shows that momentum across the portfolio built through the third quarter rather than leveling off.
September’s 15.7% gain was well above both the quarterly and nine- month rates.
That points to a strong close to the period.
The company’s overseas terminals, excluding Container Terminal Tollerort, handled 3.56 million TEUS in September, up 20.7% from September 2025.
Their cumulative throughput for the first nine months reached 31.48 million TEUS, up 18.9% year on year.
Overseas operations now account for roughly one-third of the company’s total nine-month volume.
Three key international gate- ways highlighted the breadth of this growth:
Piraeus Container Terminal in Greece handled 366,600 TEUS in September, up 15.3% year on year.
Its nine-month throughput rose 1.7% to approximately 3.09 million TEUS.
*Suez Canal Container Terminal in Egypt processed 540,300 TEUS during the month, a growth of 4%.
Its cumulative volume reached 4.70 million TEUS, up 17.3%.
* CSP Chancay Terminal in Peru handled 46,700 TEUS in September, an increase of 25% on the same month last year.
Throughput for the first nine months reached 341,400 TEUs, up 47.3%.
These terminals serve distinct trade corridors: Southern Europe, the Suez Canal route linking Asia and Europe, and the west coast of South America.
Their combined performance shows that the company’s international growth is spread across multiple regions rather than resting on a single market.
For shippers and logistics providers balancing cost, routing and reliability, broader gateway capacity across several corridors offers more options when planning global supply chains.
Within China, most regional portfolios delivered strong September gains, though results varied by region.
* Pearl River Delta: 2.77 million TEUS in September, up 22.6% year on year.
Nine-month throughput increased 6.2% to 23.88 million TEUS.
* Southwest Coast: 1.05 million TEUs in September, annual growth of 24.9%. Cumulative volume remained broadly stable at 7.24 million TEUS.
* Southeast Coast: 556,100 TEUS in September, an increase of 23.6%.
Yangtze River Delta: 1.55 million TEUS in September, up 6.8%.
Bohai Rim: 1.55 million TEUS S in September, a decline of 2.4%.
Its nine-month volume remained 3.9% higher at 14.06 million TEUS.
Together, the company’s Chinese regional portfolios handled close to 7.48 million TEUS in September.
The Pearl River Delta remained the largest contributor by volume.
The Southwest Coast and Southeast Coast recorded the fastest monthly growth rates.
The Bohai Rim was the only region to post a monthly decline, though its year-to-date figures remained positive.
The September results reinforce a pattern of expanding throughput across COSCO Shipping Ports’ global network.
Overseas terminals are growing faster than the portfolio average, and most Chinese port clusters posted strong monthly gains.
For cargo owners, freight forwarders and importers, the figures provide a data-driven view of where container capacity is being used most intensively.
That insight can inform routing decisions, carrier selection and contingency planning heading into the final quarter 2026.
Hapag-Lloyd Launches New SE5 Service and Announces Far East- Europe Network Changes for November 2026
Hapag-Lloyd is introducing a series of adjustments to its Far East-Europe service network beginning in November 2026.
The changes are part of the Gemini Cooperation, the operational partnership between Hapag-Lloyd and acquisition Maersk.
They include launching a e container new Asia South Europe 5 (SE5) backdrop, service, revising port rotations, and adding port calls to several existing services.
At the center of the network update is the new SE5 service.
It provides fast, direct connections from Central and South China to key Western Mediterranean markets, with calls at Algeciras in Spain and Port Tangier Med in Morocco.
SE5 is designed to deliver competitive transit times to Spain and adjacent Western Mediterranean markets.
It also extends cargo connectivity to West Africa via Tangier, giving shippers a direct route to growing markets beyond the Mediterranean.
For cargo owners managing tight delivery commitments, the service strengthens options for direct loading out of Shanghai and Xiamen.
For freight forwarders and importers, it adds a routing option into Southern Europe and North Africa, supporting planning for seasonal volumes and new market entry.
The new SE5 service will operate on the following rotation: Shanghai > Xiamen > Tanjung Pelepas > Suez Canal > Algeciras > Port Tangier Med > Algeciras > Suez Canal > Xiamen
The rotation links two major Chinese export gateways with the Malaysian hub of Tanjung Pelepas before transiting the Suez Canal to the Strait of Gibraltar.
With Algeciras and Port Tangier Med on opposite sides of the strait, SE5 links two of the Western Mediterranean’s most important gateways in a single loop.
This positions the service to serve both Iberian and North African cargo flows, along with onward connections to West Africa.
The first vessel operating under the new SE5 rotation will be: Maersk Edirne V647W, First Port: Shanghai, ETA November 22 2026
The adjustments include revised port rotations and additional port calls.
Implementation will begin in November 2026.
Customers with cargo moving on these services are encouraged to contact their local Hapag-Lloyd sales representative for detailed rotations, cut-off times and any changes affecting specific bookings.
Since its February 2025 launch, the Gemini Cooperation between Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk has focused on a hub-based network designed to improve schedule reliability on East- West trades.
The November 2026 changes continue that work.
They refine port coverage, add direct connectivity, and extend the Far East-Europe network into Western Mediterranean and West African markets.