CMA CGM Reassesses Suez Canal Strategy Amid Renewed Security Risks
French container shipping major CMA CGM is again adjusting its routing strategy, scaling back Suez Canal transits as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East intensify. The move underscores the fragile outlook for the Asia–Europe trade lane, despite earlier expectations of stabilization, The Maritime Telegraph reports.
The carrier confirmed that vessels operating on French Asia Line 1 (FAL 1), French Asia Line 3 (FAL 3) and the Mediterranean Club Express (MEX) will temporarily bypass the Suez Canal and sail via the Cape of Good Hope. The decision follows a renewed internal risk assessment amid what CMA CGM describes as an increasingly uncertain international environment.
Caution remains widespread across the liner industry. Reuters notes that most global container lines continue to take a selective approach to the Suez route, weighing security concerns in the Red Sea against longer transit times and higher operating costs linked to Cape diversions.
CMA CGM had recently tested limited Suez passages under naval escort and was preparing to expand transits on selected services, including an India–U.S. trade lane.
The group did not disclose specific threat details. As Lloyd’s List points out, the return to the Red Sea and Suez Canal remains uneven, with carriers adjusting routes independently based on evolving security assessments rather than a coordinated industry shift.
