by Jessica Ingram
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French container shipping giant CMA CGM has reversed its recently resumed sailings through the Red Sea and Suez Canal, opting once again to divert vessels on key Asia-Europe and Asia-Mediterranean services around the Cape of Good Hope. The decision impacts three major services — FAL 1, FAL 3 and MEX — adding up to two weeks to transit times and underscoring ongoing volatility in global trade lanes. CMA CGM cited a “complex and uncertain international context” for the change, though it offered no detailed explanation.
The move comes after a lull in attacks by Yemen-based Houthi forces had prompted some carriers, including CMA CGM and Maersk, to test returns via the Suez route, which had been largely bypassed since early 2024 due to security risks. Industry analysts warn that such rapid reversals could undermine confidence in schedule reliability and complicate planning for shippers already coping with extended transit times and higher costs. CMA CGM says it will continue to monitor conditions and may adjust plans accordingly.
Source: Stuart Chirls, “Major container carrier reverses course on Red Sea return,” FreightWaves, January 21, 2026 — https://www.freightwaves.com/news/major-container-carrier-reverses-course-on-red-sea-return
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