Evergreen resumes sailings through Suez Canal after three-year hiatus

TOP MAGAZINE · Sea freight

Following a hiatus of almost three years due to the crisis in the Red Sea, Evergreen Shipping Line has resumed sailings via the Suez Canal. The container ship Ever Eon made the symbolic first passage this week.

First Evergreen passage through the Suez Canal since the crisis

Evergreen Shipping Line has resumed its services through the Suez Canal after a hiatus of nearly three years. The reason for this long absence was the crisis in the Red Sea, which broke out in 2023 and led to persistent disruptions to regular shipping routes between the Far East and Europe.

On 8 November 2026, the Ever Eon, a 369-metre-long container ship with a capacity of 16,556 TEU, successfully transited the canal as part of a northbound convoy. The vessel’s voyage symbolises Evergreen’s return and was welcomed by the Suez Canal authorities with a ceremony and an escort of senior canal pilots.

Strategic importance of Suez reaffirmed

The resumption of Evergreen’s sailings underlines the enduring strategic importance of the Suez Canal for global sea freight. According to the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), since the crisis the Canal has succeeded in retaining or regaining a number of major shipping lines as regular users, including CMA CGM, Maersk, MSC, Hapag-Lloyd, COSCO and, once again, Evergreen.

This development points to a restoration of confidence in the safety and reliability of the Suez route for connections between Europe and Asia. For shippers, Evergreen’s return means an increase in available capacity and potentially more choice in service frequencies to the Far East and North-West Europe.

Greater stability on East-West routes

Evergreen is operating the resumed service within the Ocean Alliance’s NEU7 network, which offers direct connections between major ports in Europe and Asia. Evergreen is expected to operate several voyages via Suez in the coming period.

Although the full impact on container flows and rates in the longer term depends on market competition and geopolitics, it is clear that shippers stand to benefit from this additional routing option compared with the longer detour around the Cape of Good Hope.

What does this mean for your shipment?

TOP’s analysis based on the above developments.

Planning

With Evergreen back on the Suez route, shippers can tailor transit times and service even more effectively to their supply chain, particularly to Asia and Europe.

Costs

A wider range of services on the Suez route may, in the long term, lead to greater rate competition and lower costs, although these remain sensitive to geopolitical risks.

Point to note

Shippers should take into account the continuation of security protocols and periodic adjustments to timetables whilst geopolitical uncertainties persist.