Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd Resume Suez Canal Shipping Service

A.P. Moller-Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd announced on July 7, 2026, that they will resume transit through the Suez Canal for their joint Gemini Cooperation AE15 service. The move shifts the service away from the detour around Africa's Cape of Good Hope, which carriers had adopted in late 2023 following Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The Majestic Maersk will be the first vessel to utilize the restored route connecting Asia, the Mediterranean, and Europe.

This decision follows security assessments of the Red Sea and a 14-point agreement signed last month between the United States and Iran to end their war. The return to the trans-Suez corridor is expected to reduce the total voyage duration of the AE15 service by up to four weeks. Following the announcement, shares in Maersk fell 5.8% and Hapag-Lloyd fell 2.7% amid investor concerns that increased capacity and efficiency would put downward pressure on freight rates.

Both companies characterized the move as a gradual and cautious step. While they noted that the Suez Canal is the fastest and most efficient corridor for global supply chains, they emphasized that other services in the Gemini Cooperation network will remain on their current routes for now. Maersk stated that the AE15 service will be rerouted back around Africa if security conditions in the region deteriorate.