Container lines split decisions on Suez Canal passage, balancing different risks.

As security dynamics continue to evolve, prompting a cautious reappraisal across the industry, global container carriers are displaying starkly different attitudes toward a possible return to the Red Sea and theuez Canal. Maersk has initiated limited trial runs, CMA CGM is preparing to resume regular services on the Suez Canal, while Hapag-Lloyd maintains more conservative stance, waiting for sustained stability.

Maersk: Revising route network after testing the waters

Maersk has taken the most step among the carriers to reopen the vital waterway, with its 6,500 TEU containership the Maersk Sebarok completing its first Red Sea voyage nearly two years under strict security protocols【Maersk returns to the Red Sea, can it smoothly resume the Suez Canal route?】. The company emphasized that this is not signal of an impending shift in its east-west route network but a controlled trial run aimed at assessing local conditions.

Analysts say the move sends a "clear" to the industry. Many believe that Maersk's decision could encourage competitors to follow suit after the new year, although Maersk reiterated that any broader return would gradual and subject to the continued improvement of the security situation.

The trial run came after signs of de-escalation were sent by various parties in the region including a temporary cease of attacks by Houthi rebels, although risks and high insurance costs remain the main obstacles.

CMA CGM: First major carrier to restore Suez Canal sailing

Unlike Maersk's cautious, exploratory approach, French carrier CMA CGM is preparing to fully restore Suez sailing on its India-US East Coast Indamex service.

The service will resume "normal" Suez Canal routing with the CMA CGM Verdi which is scheduled to depart Nhava Sheva on January 18 and pass through the Suez Canal on February 8. A full switch back to the Suez Canal planned for the second quarter of 2026, making CMA CGM one of the first carriers with a concrete plan to return to the route.

decisive move stands in stark contrast to the more cautious strategies of Maersk and other carriers, highlighting CMA CGM's willingness to restore its pre-crisis route where possible.

Hapag-Lloyd: Assessing a return but not yet committed

Among the major carriers, Hapag-loyd has adopted the most conservative stance. The company has publicly acknowledged that it is assessing the conditions for a return to the Suez Canal and has developed a detailed potential restart plan., Hapag-Lloyd emphasizes that no timeline has been set and that a decision would only be made once the safety of crew, cargo, and assets is ensured.

The company is "closely" monitoring developments, noting that a sustained de-escalation of the situation is needed before considering a return to the Suez Canal feasible Continuing concerns over insurance liabilities and geopolitical turmoil continue to weigh heavily on its assessment.

This divergence highlights how even carriers facing the same global trade routes can vastly different sailing strategies due to factors such as geopolitical risks, insurance risk exposure, and the synchronizing pressures of route networks