CMA CGM has confirmed the addition of another Far East – Europe string with regular Suez Canal transits in 2026. This comes as part of ongoing operational strategies to optimize eastbound voyages.
The CMA CGM KIMBERLEY, a 15,254 TEU vessel, will make the first official passage through the Suez Canal on February 10, 2026. This new service completes a full loop around Africa and through the Mediterranean, following westbound transit past the Cape of Good Hope. CMA CGM's INDAMEX string will receive a new service version covering both westbound and eastbound routes via the Suez Canal, starting January 14.
Version 18 will reduce the roundtrip time by two weeks to 77 days and reduce the number of vessel slots to 14, while maintaining current vessel capacity.
Other vessels in the MED2 (CMA – MEX) string, such as the CMA CGM JULES VERNE, APL CHANGI, CMA CGM GALAPAGOS, and CMA CGM GRACE BAY, will execute inducement calls ahead of the new rotation. The first vessel on CMA’s FAL1 service to conduct a proforma Suez Canal transit will be the APL MERLION on January 5, 2026.
This increased activity indicates a potential short-term improvement in transit times and reliability for shipments from Southern Europe and the Mediterranean to the Middle East, India, and Asia.
The first vessel to complete a full circuit through the Suez will be the CMA CGM VERDE on February 4, 2026, en route from Colombo to New York. Additional vessels, including the APL OREGON, CMA CGM PASSION, APL LE HAVRE, and CMA CGM MAUPASSANT, will make eastbound inducement calls before the new rotation is fully implemented.