Maersk resumes Suez transits; freight rates spike after regional attacks

Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have started sending some ships back through the Suez Canal, but the return is happening into a market already repricing war risk. The two carriers said on July 6 they would resume some sailings under their Gemini joint network after assessing security conditions in the Red Sea. At the same time, attacks tied to the U.S.-Iran confrontation disrupted tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and pushed oil prices higher. The result is that the world’s two most sensitive maritime chokepoints are now feeding into the same cost problem for shippers: higher rates, tighter capacity and renewed uncertainty over transit times. ### Which ships are going back through Suez? Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd said on July 6 they would resume some sailings through the Suez Canal on their AE15 service, which links Asia, the Mediterranean and Europe. Maersk said the move followed “thorough assessments” of security in the Red Sea and marked a gradual return to the trans-Suez corridor. (whbl.com) Hapag-Lloyd said the AE15 change would cut voyage duration by four weeks compared with the longer diversion around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. Maersk also said the companies had no immediate plans to change other Gemini services and would keep monitoring the Middle East situation. ### Why does one service matter so much? (whbl.com) Clarksons Research data cited by Reuters showed the Suez-Red Sea route had carried about 10% of global seaborne trade before attacks by Yemen’s Houthis drove most major carriers away. The diversions around southern Africa lengthened voyages, tied up ships for longer and raised freight costs. (whbl.com) Scan Global Logistics said on July 8 that hopes for a broader return to Suez had helped fuel expectations of easier routing, but those hopes were immediately tested by renewed attacks and ceasefire violations around Hormuz. The forwarder said the ocean-freight market had turned “red hot” as carriers and cargo owners reacted to fresh disruption risk. (whbl.com) ### How is Hormuz making container shipping more expensive too? India Today reported on July 9 that oil prices rose after the U.S.-Iran truce weakened and attacks hit ships in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. crude rose to $75.80 a barrel and Brent climbed to nearly $79, while Rystad Energy’s Jorge Leon said tanker traffic through Hormuz had “essentially stopped,” underscoring how sharply markets were reacting to perceived risk in the waterway. (scangl.com) DHL said in its July 2026 ocean market update that effective capacity remained constrained by port congestion and ongoing Suez detours. The company said global container demand was up 4% year to date and freight rates had increased 84% from a year earlier as peak-season demand outpaced available capacity. (indiatoday.in) ### Are carriers fully back in the Red Sea? Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are not fully back. Reuters reported that the two companies resumed their joint ME11 service through Suez in mid-February under naval escort, then suspended Red Sea transits again in late February after the outbreak of the Iran war. (dhl.com) Maersk said any further Gemini changes would depend on continued stability in the Red Sea and no escalation in regional conflicts. That leaves carriers choosing route by route rather than declaring a broad reopening of the corridor. ### What should shippers watch next? July is the next key test because carriers are trying to restore faster routings while fuel and insurance risks are rising again. (whbl.com) Scan Global Logistics said the latest attacks threatened the assumption that a wider return to Suez would hold, and DHL said rates were expected to remain elevated through the summer. Maersk said future service changes will be announced within the Gemini network as security conditions develop. For cargo owners, the next signals are whether more services return to Suez and whether tanker traffic through Hormuz resumes without new attacks. (whbl.com) (scangl.com)