Maersk CEO says full Suez Canal return on track for 2026

Shipping giant Maersk A.P. Møller – Mærsk A/S has signaled that it expects the full resumption of navigation through the Suez Canal by the end of 2026, as the company continues gradually expanding services through the Red Sea corridor even as broader Middle East shipping disruptions intensify.

Gradual Return Amid Persistent Threats

Maersk announced on August 10 that another container service in its Gemini network with Germany's Hapag-Lloyd would resume sailing through the Red Sea and Suez Canal, marking the latest step in what has been a phased return to the waterway. The company's CEO stated that conditions are now ripe for full resumption of navigation by year's end following a systematic assessment of Red Sea security.moomoo+1

The Danish shipping group began its return to Suez Canal routes in January 2026, when it restarted its Middle East-to-U.S. East Coast service after successful trial transits. Since then, it has progressively added more services back to the route, cutting transit times by seven to fourteen days compared with the Cape of Good Hope detour.marinelink+1

Hormuz Crisis Overshadows Red Sea Progress

The cautiously optimistic outlook on the Suez route stands in stark contrast to conditions in the Strait of Hormuz, where commercial shipping remains severely disrupted. Reuters reported on August 11 that traffic through Hormuz fell to just six vessels, compared with a 10-day average of about 11. A live tracker indicated the strait has been effectively closed to normal commercial shipping for 166 days as of August 14.straits+1

The Houthi threat in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait also persists. On August 11, Houthi militants attacked a cargo ship in the strait, killing crew members, according to Reuters and AP. Days earlier, Houthis struck the Red Sea port of Mocha, killing seven people and escalating fears over the security of shipping lanes.reuters+2

Risk Remains Elevated

Despite Maersk's phased resumption, the security environment remains volatile. War-risk insurance premiums and the possibility of renewed escalation mean the company has maintained that any routing decisions depend on "ongoing stability in the Red Sea area and the absence of any escalation in conflicts in the region". Shipping data shows near-zero crude tanker crossings at Hormuz over the past 24 hours, with the Red Sea seeing fewer than 10 vessel exits at the Yemen chokepoint.interest+1

Oil prices edged lower on the Maersk announcement, with WTI crude falling as the market began pricing in reduced geopolitical risk premiums on the Suez corridor. Yet analysts note the Hormuz closure continues to pose a far larger constraint on global energy flows, and prediction markets price a return to normal there at less than one percent.moomoo+1