The Suez Canal has recently recorded the passage of the CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin, which is the largest container ship to transit the canal in the past two years. This is seen as a positive sign for the shipping industry along that key trade route.
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| By Eric Garcetti – https://www.flickr.com/photos/99292716@N06/24241496311/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47133889 |
Operated by the French shipping line CMA CGM, the vessel measures about 399 meters in length and 54 meters in width, with a draft of about 13.5 meters. It can carry around 17,859 containers with a net tonnage of 177,000 tons.
This marks the first large ship passage through the Suez Canal and the Bab al-Mandeb strait since October 2023, when tensions had disrupted shipping operations in the region. With the CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin successfully completing its transit, it could indeed be a positive signal for giant container operators worldwide that stability is returning to this crucial trade corridor.