French shipping group CMA CGM is continuing the return of its shipping services through the Suez Canal as a permanent and sustainable route, the company’s Executive Vice President of Assets and Operations, Christine Cabau, said on Tuesday.
The statement was made during a videoconference meeting with Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Chairman Osama Rabie and Tarek Zaghloul, Chief Executive Officer of CMA CGM in Egypt and Sudan. The talks were held to review the French group’s sailing policies and to urge global shipping lines to make a full return to the canal.
During the meeting, Rabie reported an increase in the transit rates of medium and large container ships with capacities exceeding 130,000 tons. Between July and September 2026, 166 vessels in these categories crossed the waterway with a total net tonnage of 29m tons. This compares to 16 ships with a total net tonnage of 2.4m tons during the same period last year.
Rabie noted that current challenges are imposing increased pressure on global supply chains, directly reflecting on higher fuel prices and freight rates. The SCA aims to support clients with an integrated package of maritime and logistics services to remain the fastest, shortest, and most efficient route, he added.
“The Suez Canal holds strategic importance for container trade due to the operational savings it achieves in reducing time and distance, as well as its contribution to enhancing the concept of economies of scale for container ships,” Rabie said, noting that the canal is capable of accommodating 100% of the global container fleet.
Cabau noted her pride in the extended strategic partnership with the SCA and expressed her anticipation for strengthening future cooperation.
On Tuesday, the giant container ship CMA CGM PANTHEON traversed the canal on its maiden voyage. The vessel, holding a net canal tonnage of 221,000 tons, sailed within the northbound convoy en route from Morocco to Malaysia. The container ship CMA CGM MONTE CRISTI also transited the canal as part of the northbound convoy.