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Explainer · last look 12 September 2026 Should my Asia–UK ship go via Suez or the Cape? Read the booking, not the headline. The Suez Canal is open. Most Asia–UK container ships still go around Africa because of the Red Sea on the way to that canal. The Cape adds about 10 to 14 days. If the line will not write Suez against your sailing, add two weeks before you promise a date. |
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Road A · Suez Asia → Red Sea → Egypt canal → Gibraltar → Channel → UK port |
Road B · Cape Asia → around Africa → Atlantic → Channel → same UK ports |
How many extra days is the Cape?
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| Lane | Suez | Cape | Extra |
| China → Felixstowe | 31–33 | 43–47 | 12–14 days |
| China → Rotterdam | 30–32 | 42–46 | 10–14 days |
| Singapore → N. Europe | 25–27 | 36–40 | 11–13 days |
If Suez is open, why is my box still going around Africa?
| Canal traffic left in 2025 compared with the 2023 peak | |
| All ships ~48% | Gone from the short road ~52% |
| All container ships ~32% | Still off the short road ~68% |
| Big box ships ~6% | The ships that carry UK shop stock mostly stayed on the Cape |
| Who came back | 2026 habit |
| Oil tankers | Use Suez more readily |
| Small container ships | Mostly returned |
| Large Asia–UK container ships | Mostly still the Cape |
Can they switch my ship after I book?
| 1. Booked Suez named |
→ | 2. Red Sea turns line changes plan |
→ | 3. Now the Cape +10 to 14 days |
Ask them to tell you in writing if the voyage is switched. One loop at a company can be on Suez while the next loop is still on the Cape.
What actually decides the road?
| Safety / Red Sea | Largest weight |
| War-risk insurance | Often tips the maths |
| Extra fuel + days | Cape burns more |
| Canal toll | Only if they use Suez |
| Shop headline | Does not steer the ship |
If the ship takes the Cape, what slips at Felixstowe?
| Step | What moves |
| Berth window | Original slot can be missed |
| Yard dwell | Several late ships at once = longer wait |
| Rail / A14 | Inland booking tied to the old date may need a new one |
| Shop bay | One line thin. Not a closed country. |
Does Suez help Northern Ireland the same way?
| Ocean leg Yes — fewer sea days if the ship is truly on Suez. |
After the quay No — forms and the last stretch are a different job from Great Britain. |
How can I tell which road the ship is on?
| If the tracker shows | Road |
| South of Madagascar / west Africa | Cape |
| Red Sea or the canal | Suez |
| Still in East Asia, heading unknown | Trust the line’s notice, not the map yet |
If a November bay looks thin, is Suez closed?
| What you see | Usual gate |
| Thin toys / clothes | Cape calendar, not a shut canal |
| Dear diesel | Hormuz |
| Dear loaf / oil | Black Sea |
When must Christmas stock leave China on the Cape?
| Need it in a UK warehouse | Leave East Asia by |
| Mid-October | Late August |
| Mid-November / Black Friday | Late September |
| On a shelf before Christmas | First half of October |
What should I ask the line today?
| Ask | Then |
| Suez or Cape on this voyage? | Cape → add two weeks. Suez → keep the short date. |
| Will you tell me if it switches? | You want a yes. |
| Which UK port? | Felixstowe, London Gateway or Southampton. |
Suez page · Cape page · Status · Why shops run out
SCA 2023 peak; 2025 ship counts from SCA figures in trade press; Alphaliner on containership recovery by size. Sea days: common 2026 freight use. Not live tracking. Not a price forecast.