Red Sea / Suez Routing Watch: Gradual return could impact transit times

Carriers continue to reassess Red Sea/Suez routing as regional security conditions evolve. Reuters reported that Maersk stated another vessel successfully navigated the Bab el-Mandeb/Red Sea area and that the company will continue a “gradual, cautious” approach toward resuming navigation via the Red Sea/Suez corridor (Jan 12, 2026).

A meaningful shift back toward Suez can affect effective capacity, schedules, and transit times compared to Cape of Good Hope diversions—so routing assumptions should be confirmed at booking, not inferred.

Practical takeaway: Expect lane-by-lane variability—confirm routing, cutoffs, and transit expectations before you lock your delivery timeline.

For importers, the main planning advantage is clearer: build a buffer in case services revert to diversions again, and align inland delivery (drayage/trucking) based on the port pair and expected discharge windows.

Sources: Reuters (Jan 12, 2026). Reuters (Dec 23, 2025).