Maersk to resume Middle East-US East Coast shipping through Suez Canal

Maersk, the world's largest container shipping group, will resume its Middle East-to-U.S. East Coast service through the Suez Canal, improving transit times by up to 14 days.

Maersk, one ​of the world's biggest container ‌shipping groups, ​said on Thursday it would resume its Middle East-to-U.S. East Coast service through the ‌Suez Canal, as the Danish group takes another step toward restoring routes through the Red Sea.

Most shipping companies abandoned the Asia-Europe ‌trade corridor through the Suez Canal after attacks in the Red ‌Sea by Yemen's Houthis, forcing vessels to take the much longer route around Africa's Cape of Good Hope. Some carriers have recently begun considering a gradual ⁠return ​to the ⁠corridor. "By making the structural change of returning to the trans-Suez route for the ⁠MECL service, we will offer significant improved transit times," Maersk said in ​a statement.

The company said westbound transit times would improve ⁠by an average of seven days, while eastbound sailings would be up ⁠to 14 ​days faster. Maersk said on Monday that it would resume some sailings through the Suez Canal under its Gemini cooperation ⁠network with Germany's Hapag-Lloyd.

Maersk has also faced disruption to other services in ⁠the Middle East ⁠during the Iran war, with some vessels unable to enter or leave the Gulf.