CMA CGM cuts Suez Canal exposure as Middle East risks resurface

French shipping giant CMA CGM is once again reducing its exposure to the Suez Canal, redirecting several key container services amid renewed geopolitical tension across the Middle East. The decision reflects ongoing concerns over security in critical maritime corridors, despite earlier expectations of a gradual recovery of the Asia–Europe trade lane, The Maritime Telegraph reports.

 

The Marseille-based carrier confirmed that vessels operating on French Asia Line 1 (FAL 1), French Asia Line 3 (FAL 3) and the Mediterranean Club Express (MEX) will temporarily bypass the Suez Canal and instead sail around the Cape of Good Hope. The move follows an internal reassessment of operational risks linked to what the company described as a “complex and uncertain international environment”.

 

Industry-wide caution remains evident. Reuters has reported that most global container lines continue to take a selective and risk-based approach to Suez Canal transits, weighing security concerns against schedule reliability and rising costs linked to longer routes.

 

CMA CGM had recently tested limited Suez transits under naval escort and was preparing to expand regular sailings, including on an India–U.S. trade service. However, renewed tensions in the Middle East (including instability involving Iran and warnings of possible U.S. military involvement) have revived concerns over regional security, a trend also highlighted by Lloyd’s List in its coverage of Red Sea shipping risks.

 

The group did not disclose specific threat assessments behind its latest decision. As Lloyd’s List has emphasized, the pace of return to the Red Sea and Suez Canal remains uneven, with carriers adjusting routes independently based on evolving threat assessments rather than moving in unison.

 

Picture: SCA