CMA CGM is stepping up its use of the Suez Canal as the French carrier accelerates the return of more vessels to the key Asia-Europe shipping corridor.
The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said CMA CGM has reaffirmed its commitment to increasing vessel transits and expanding the number of ships operating through the canal across its various services. The commitment was discussed during a meeting between SCA Chairman Admiral Ossama Rabiee and CMA CGM Executive Vice President for Assets and Operations Christine Cabau on August 18.
According to the SCA, 199 CMA CGM Group vessels had transited the canal since the beginning of 2026, with total net tonnage reaching 25.2 million tonnes. This compares with 212 CMA CGM vessels for the whole of 2025, when the group recorded 18.8 million tonnes of net tonnage through the waterway.
CMA CGM said its vessels are increasingly returning to the Suez Canal and that it intends to expand services using the waterway. The carrier sees the canal as an increasingly important corridor within its global network.
The move follows a gradual increase in CMA CGM’s Suez Canal activity during 2026. In January-May, the carrier recorded 104 canal voyages, with 12.5 million tonnes of tonnage, according to the SCA. In June, the ultra-large CMA CGM Vendome, with capacity for up to 24,000 TEUs, made its first Suez Canal transit on the Far East–North-West Europe FAL 3 service.
Greater use of the Suez Canal can significantly shorten Asia-Europe voyages compared with the Cape of Good Hope route, reducing sailing time and fuel consumption. CMA CGM’s return therefore represents a potentially important shift in liner network deployment following the prolonged disruption to Red Sea shipping.
However, security conditions in the Red Sea remain a key consideration for carriers. CMA CGM had previously suspended Suez Canal transits in February 2026 amid heightened regional security concerns and diverted affected vessels around the Cape of Good Hope.
The carrier’s latest commitment indicates growing confidence in restoring Suez Canal operations, although the pace of the wider industry return will continue to depend on security assessments and operating conditions in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb.