AP Moller-Maersk has resumed transits through the Suez Canal and Red Sea following improved stability after the Gaza ceasefire, reports London's Financial Times.

The company said it would implement its first structural return to the trans-Suez route for its MECL service linking the Middle East and India to the US east coast.

Container shipping groups have been weighing a return since Yemen's Houthi forces signalled in November they would halt attacks on vessels. CMA CGM earlier this month resumed transits on its India America Express service.

A wider reopening of the corridor would end more than two years of disruption, cutting Asia-Europe transit times by up to two weeks and reducing the number of vessels needed, lowering freight rates.

Xeneta analyst Peter Sand said a full-scale return could leave 6-8 per cent of the global container fleet surplus, shifting market balance against carriers.

Maersk's share price fell four per cent after the announcement. The company said it would only return fully if conditions were safe, noting one of its ships had successfully transited the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Jon Gahagan of Sedna Global said the ceasefire made it natural for Maersk to resume Red Sea operations, though the Houthi threat remains.

Analysts cautioned the Middle East situation is volatile, with concerns heightened after US President Donald Trump raised fears of possible military action in Iran.

https://www.shippingazette.com/news?news_id=9260100000587