Ports

Suez Canal Return Cuts India-Savannah Transit by Two Weeks

Container carriers are restoring Suez Canal routes to accelerate shipments from India to the Port of Savannah. Transit times are trimming by 10 to 14 days compared to Cape of Good Hope diversions. Maersk has shifted its MECL service back through Suez, reducing Nhava Sheva-to-Savannah passage to 28 days, with the Maersk Denver marking the carrier's first westbound sailing through the canal in August. CMA CGM's Indamex service will cut five days from the same route while maintaining weekly frequency with two fewer vessels. MSC plans to restore Suez routings on four Asia-Europe and Mediterranean services, each requiring two fewer ships globally. The shift addresses inventory management challenges for importers and supports supply chain diversification strategies into India and Southeast Asia production centers. Shorter, more predictable ocean lead times enable better demand forecasting and reduced safety stock requirements.