A possible return to Suez Canal shipping in 2026 may overwhelm Europe's ports, risking delays and equipment shortages, warns S&P Global.
A potential resumption of container shipping through the Red Sea in 2026 could overwhelm Europe's already stretched port network, according to a report by London's S&P Global.
Forwarders have warned that bottlenecks could take months to clear, leading to equipment shortages in Asia as inbound volumes from ships rerouted via Africa or the Suez Canal fill yards and warehouses.
Demand growth between Asia and Europe has risen by 10-14 percent this year, marking the strongest increase since before the global financial crisis, as noted by Kuehne + Nagel's Michael Aldwell. He emphasized that Europe's terminals have little idle capacity to absorb a sudden surge in traffic.
This week, CMA CGM announced that its Indamex service will regularly transit the Suez Canal, indicating a structural shift in shipping routes. However, carriers remain cautious, with Maersk stressing that crew and cargo safety must be ensured before a full resumption of services.
Analysts have warned that a switchover could cause chaos, as shipping routes through the Suez and Cape overlap, potentially leading to waves of vessels arriving in Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa, and the US East Coast simultaneously.
Mr. Aldwell cautioned that delays at European terminals could disrupt schedules and create shortages of equipment in Asia until shipping rotations normalize.
Hellmann Worldwide Logistics noted that while Mediterranean ports may cope better with congestion, transshipment hubs such as Port Said, Piraeus, and Ambarli are likely to face significant disruption as carriers revert calls from western ports like Tanger Med and Algeciras.
