French shipping major CMA CGM has decided to scale back its use of the Suez Canal, opting to reroute several services amid renewed geopolitical uncertainty affecting key maritime corridors.
The Marseille-based group said vessels operating on three services – French Asia Line 1 (FAL 1), French Asia Line 3 (FAL 3) and Mediterranean Club Express (MEX) – will temporarily bypass the Suez Canal and instead sail around the Cape of Good Hope. The decision follows an internal reassessment of risks linked to what the company described as a “complex and uncertain international context.”
Global container lines have been cautiously evaluating a return to the Suez route after widespread diversions in late 2023, when attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea forced operators to send ships around southern Africa. A subsequent lull in incidents, alongside a ceasefire in Gaza, had fuelled expectations of a gradual normalization of traffic.
CMA CGM had recently tested limited transits through the canal under naval escort and was preparing to increase regular sailings, including on an India–U.S. service. However, fresh tensions in the Middle East, including instability involving Iran and warnings of possible U.S. intervention, have revived concerns over regional security.
The group did not provide further details on the specific risks behind its latest move. Other carriers continue to take a more selective approach: Maersk, the world’s second-largest container line, said last week that one of its services would resume Red Sea and Suez Canal transits from this month, underscoring the uneven pace of return to the vital Asia–Europe trade lane.
