Red Sea Brief - 29 October 2026

Suez Canal

• 19-25 October: 305 transits / 27.6m dwt

• Decrease of 2% week on week, but 35% higher than weekly October 2025 average  

• In tonnage terms, volumes are down 36% on pre-Houthi crisis levels  

Bab el Mandeb

• 12-18 October (last complete week due to dark transits): 295 transits / 25.5m dwt  

• Decrease of 8% WoW in terms of sheer volumes, but 3% increase in capacity  

• In tonnage terms, volumes are down 46% on pre-Houthi crisis levels  

Executive summary  

Containership’s Red Sea return in full swing. At least half of capacity has been restored as carriers continue to switch back from the Cape of Good Hope diversion route. In the past four weeks 281 containerships, equivalent to 3m teu, have passed through the Suez Canal, more than double capacity in August. In October 2023, before the Red Sea exodus, containership transits totalled 474, or 5.5m teu.

Suez transits on track for another record-breaking month. A total of 1,195 transits or 111m dwt were recorded from 28 September to 25 October. This is up from 1,151 and 99.7m dwt over the preceding four-week period. Containerships and crude oil tankers are almost exclusively responsible for growth, while other markets have either slowed or stagnated month on month.  

Bab el Mandeb traffic gathers pace. Preliminary data shows sustained growth in transits via the Red Sea’s southern chokepoint, despite instability in the region. Containerships, general cargoships and product tankers are behind the increased activity.  

Key takeaways

Crude tanker transits via Suez surpass 2023 levels. Over the past four weeks 301 voyages have been made through the Red Sea’s northern chokepoint, equivalent to 41.6m dwt. The last time the Suez Canal was this busy was from mid-May to mid-June 2023, several months before the Houthis launched their first attacks on commercial shipping.

Largest containerships return to Red Sea in force as megamax transits hit a post-crisis high. More than 100 ultra-large and megamax containerships have transited the Suez Canal since the beginning of September, exceeding the 99 recorded during the whole of 2025 and the first eight months of 2026 combined. The return of the largest containerships marks a milestone in the recovery of Suez traffic.  

Chinese vehicle operators are behind the significant increase in vehicle carrier movements through the Red Sea. Transits of pure car and truck carriers through the Bab el Mandeb Strait reached their highest level since late 2023 in the third quarter, with a combined 144 voyages. The trend highlights a growing divide in the vehicle carrier sector, with Chinese operators prepared to use the Red Sea corridor while many of their international competitors remain reluctant to expose their vessels to security risks. Those willing to use the route can benefit from reduced Asia-Europe voyage times and fuel costs.  

Source: Lloyd’s List Intelligence Red Sea Transit Monitor  

Security summary

Threat to shipping remains substantial in Red Sea, but there have been no recent incidents reported. The UK Maritime Trade Operations says there has been an increase in reporting from vessels of interactions with claimed Yemeni Authorities, but there have been no attacks since August 24.  

Suspicious activity reported in the Gulf of Aden on October 28, potentially indicating an active pirate group.  

Risk outlook  

Red Sea traffic is picking up, but the recovery is patchy. Every major segment has returned to some degree, yet in several markets the recovery has stalled or reversed, which raises doubts over whether traffic can return to 2023 levels.  

The renewed tensions in the Red Sea have had a limited impact on the wider shipping industry, with the market adjusting accordingly. As such, the Red Sea Brief will now be published fortnightly unless there is a change in circumstances.  

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This brief was compiled by the Maritime Intelligence Unit

All analysis focuses on cargo-carrying vessels over 10,000 dwt

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