Suez Canal

Quick Answer

Last updated: 10 September 2026

Source: https://www.suezcanal.gov.eg/English/About/SuezCanal/Pages/CanalCharacteristics.aspx

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Check transit time: city-to-city index

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1 min

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Definition & Explanation

The Suez Canal links the Mediterranean at Port Said with the Red Sea at Suez, making it the shortest sea route between Europe and the ports of the Indian Ocean and Asia. The canal in Egypt is around 193 kilometres long, opened in 1869, has no locks and is operated by the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), which charges a fee for every transit. For container shipping between Asia and Europe it is one of the most important chokepoints: when carriers avoid the route – for example because of attacks on ships in the Red Sea – they divert via the Cape of Good Hope, which, depending on the service, means a week or more of additional transit time, higher fuel costs and tied-up vessel capacity. Freight forwarders and shippers should therefore check with every booking whether the service transits the Suez Canal or sails around the Cape. Not to be confused with the Gulf of Suez, the northern arm of the Red Sea into which the canal opens.

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