The Suez Canal is one of the world's most important maritime routes, through which 12% of global trade passes. By joining the Mar Mediterranean with the Mar Rojo Connecting Europe with Asia significantly reduces transit time compared to the much longer and more expensive route around the Cape of Good Hope. However, disruptions in the Mar Rojo During 2026, these events severely impacted global trade, generating high prices, supply disruptions, logistical delays, and profound market uncertainty. In an interconnected world, this situation threatens to trigger a drastic crisis in international maritime transport.
Channel history
The Suez Canal has a history spanning over 150 years. It was built in the second half of the 19th century. XIRoute X within the borders of Egypt. Since its inauguration in 1869, this route has been the scene of constant diplomatic and military tensions.
Although built on Egyptian territory, the canal was under the administration of European powers for decades (primarily France and the United Kingdom, which considered it its main lifeline to India). In July 1956, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser announced the nationalization of the Suez Canal Company for the benefit of the local economy, an act of sovereignty that challenged the established colonial order. The nationalization provoked a joint military intervention by the United Kingdom, France, and Israel, known as the Sinai War. However, under international diplomatic pressure, especially from the United States and the USSR, the alliance was forced to withdraw its troops. The Suez Canal remained closed for five months, severely disrupting international trade.
In 1967, during the Six-Day War—the conflict between Israel and the Arab states led by Egypt—the canal became a front line. The waterway was blocked by mines and sunken ships, remaining closed to international traffic for eight years until its reopening in 1975. Fifteen international commercial vessels, known as the “Yellow Fleet,” were trapped in the crisis; one was sunk, and others were unable to leave until the canal reopened.
The history of the canal demonstrates how control of this waterway has the potential to trigger large-scale international conflicts and paralyze world trade for extended periods.
Recent disturbances in the region and the beginning of instability
According to data from the consulting firm Lloyd's List Intelligence, the daily value of containers transiting the canal in 2021 was $9.500 billion.
Following the escalation of the conflict in the Gaza Strip in October 2023, maritime traffic volumes suffered a drastic decline. According to reports from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), transit and tonnage figures fell to alarming levels:
• In mid-October 2024, the average of 33 transits per day was 57% lower than its previous peak, placing it on the verge of its historical lows.
• Faced with this scenario of paralysis, the diversion of the maritime fleet through the Cape of Good Hope increased by 89%.
Longer routes led to increased port congestion, fuel consumption, crew wages, insurance premiums and piracy risks, while also increasing overall costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
Although circumnavigating the African continent prevented a total collapse of the supply chain, the financial impact was significant: for example, a mega-container ship traveling from the Far East to Europe began to incur a surcharge of $400.000 per trip just to cope with the polluting emissions taxes imposed by the European Union.
Furthermore, key hubs such as Singapore and major Mediterranean ports began to collapse under the growing demand for transshipment services, adding further delays globally.
The UN report showed that the Suez crisis had created a storm for global logistics, forcing a reconfiguration of shipping routes.
Current situation: the scenario after the war with Iran
Today, in 2026, the war with Iran has left the Mar Rojo Heavily militarized and fraught with latent risks, the power dynamics in the region continue to be an obstacle to free navigation.
First, the economic impact is already unavoidable. The massive diversion of ships in the wake of the Iranian crisis has made global trade drastically more expensive and slower. The forced passage around the Cape of Good Hope lengthens journeys by one to two weeks. This leads to a systematic increase in tariffs, delivery delays, and direct price hikes for the end consumer.
On the other hand, the military threat in the Mar Rojo It has become institutionalized. The Houthi rebels in Yemen, in conjunction with Iran, maintain their armed presence and threaten to continue their strategy of blocking the navigation of ships with Israeli commercial interests in the Mar RojoIn particular, the Bab al-Mandeb Canal, which connects the Mar Rojo with the Gulf of Aden and influences supplies through the Suez Canal. In 2023, the Houthis had already disrupted shipping routes as a show of solidarity with the Palestinian people. According to data from the Organization's Council MarAccording to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), from the start of the conflict until January 2025, more than 100 ships were attacked, two were sunk and 25 sailors were taken hostage.
With the escalation of the conflict in 2026, the group again announced a total ban on the route for ships associated with Israel, demonstrating an ability to alter the regional balance that directly impacts trade globally.
Global supply
Data on container transits reflects a persistent crisis that has transformed international logistics. While some companies attempted to resume shipments, accepting increased insurance premiums to return to normal, most opted for an extremely cautious approach in the face of the instability of the Mar Rojo.
According to data from the shipping organization Bimco, in the first week of January 2026, the transit volume remained 60% below that recorded in the same period of 2023.
However, any attempt at normalization was thwarted when the situation escalated dramatically starting in February 2026. New spikes in regional tensions derailed the return plans of major operators. Currently, the logistical landscape is highly uncertain, and the operational viability of the route in the short and medium term is unclear.
Developing economies and small states are more affected by disruptions, as they depend on importing food and energy at competitive prices and are unable to absorb imported inflation.
Conclusion
The Suez Canal case clearly demonstrates the extreme fragility of global supply chains in the face of geopolitical conflicts. Mar Rojo Given the instability, there is a great need for the international community to take concrete and coordinated measures so that countries, especially developing ones, do not disproportionately face the serious economic and social consequences resulting from disruptions in this vital artery.
