SCA, CMA CGM explore expanded cooperation as group accelerates Suez Canal return
Christine Cabau, CMA CGM EVP for assets and operations, said she hopes to expand future cooperation as the group’s vessels increasingly return to the Suez Canal.
EGYPT – Admiral Ossama Rabiee, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), has held a videoconference with Ms. Christine Cabau, CMA CGM Executive Vice President for Assets and Operations, and Mr. Tariq Zaghloul, CMA CGM Egypt and Sudan Cluster CEO, to explore means of expanding future cooperation as it accelerates its return to Suez Canal transits.
The meeting is part of the Suez Canal Authority’s ongoing strategy to establish direct communication channels with all its clients. During the meeting, the parties exchanged views on the future of their joint relationship and discussed the group’s sailing policies through the Suez Canal.
Notable Increase in Transit Volumes
The SCA chairman reported that navigation data for 2025 shows 212 vessels from the CMA CGM Group transited the canal, with a total net tonnage of 18.8 million tons. Since the start of this year, 199 vessels belonging to the French group have transited the canal, with a total net tonnage of 25.2 million tons, highlighting a notable increase in transit rates.
This significant rise in tonnage and vessel frequency reflects the growing importance of the Suez Canal for CMA CGM’s global operations and the group’s commitment to making the canal its primary shipping corridor as they restore operations in the region.
Commitment to Expansion and Sustainable Technologies
Christine Cabau, CMA CGM EVP for assets and operations, said she hopes to expand future cooperation as the group’s vessels increasingly return to the Suez Canal.
She also reaffirmed CMA CGM’s commitment to accelerating its return to Suez Canal transits, noting that the group is working to expand its shipping services through the canal and increase the number of vessels operating across its various routes, establishing the Suez Canal as a primary corridor within the French group’s fleet network.
She also highlighted an unprecedented leap in the adoption of sustainable operating technologies within the CMA CGM fleet, with a considerable number of the group’s vessels now running on liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a more environmentally sustainable fuel. This transition toward utilizing LNG reflects the group’s commitment to environmental sustainability and reducing the carbon footprint of its maritime operations.
Ultimately, this growing partnership aims to enhance efficiency and ecological responsibility in international trade.
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