The total net tonnage of container ships transiting the Suez Canal rose to 72.1 million tonnes in the first eight months of the year. Today, Wednesday, 39 ships with a total net tonnage of 2.3 million tonnes are passing through the Canal.

Admiral Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), announced that the mega-container ship OOCL PORTUGAL (IMO 9922615, MMSI 477015400 -sailing under the flag of Hong Kong. ) made its maiden transit through the canal this Wednesday. The vessel passed through the canal as part of a northbound convoy en route from Belgium to China.

The vessel operates within the OCEAN Alliance's NEU2 service, 

The vessel, operated by COSCO SHIPPING Lines, measures approximately 400 metres in length and 61.3 metres in width. It has a gross tonnage of 247,000 tonnes and a capacity of up to 24,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units). The vessel currently operates within the OCEAN Alliance's NEU2 service, which connects major ports along the trade route between the Far East and Northwest Europe.

 The SCA’s protocol

In accordance with the SCA’s protocol for vessels transiting the canal for the first time, Admiral Osama Rabie appointed Senior Pilots Captains Saeed Imam, Mohamed Abdel-Jalil and Ahmed Atman to board the vessel, welcome the crew and present the ship's captain with a commemorative gift.

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The first southbound transit through the Suez 

Admiral Rabie emphasised the special significance of this voyage, noting that it marks the first southbound transit through the Suez Canal by COSCO SHIPPING Lines since tensions arose in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The Authority's Chairman stated that the Suez Canal has successfully regained the support of several major shipping lines operating on the Europe-Asia trade route, including CMA CGM, Maersk, MSC, Hapag-Lloyd and COSCO. This reflects the canal's strategic importance as a pivotal hub connecting East and West.

An increase in the tonnage of container ships transiting the Canal.

He also noted that navigation reports indicate an increase in the tonnage of container ships transiting the Canal. Specifically, the total net tonnage of container ships passing through the Suez Canal increased from 46.7 million tons during the period from January to August 2025 to approximately 72.1 million tons during the same period in 2026—a rise of 54.2%.

Notably, 39 ships with a total net tonnage of 2.3 million tons are passing through the Canal today, Wednesday.

Stating George Safwat, Official Spokesperson for the Suez Canal Authority
Source: Press - Release received by Maritime Tickers

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