Suez Canal
Meaning
The Suez Canal links the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, saving thousands of miles on Europe–Asia voyages; its draft limit is about 20 metres.
Also written as Suez, SUMED
Suez Canal explained
Suezmaxes are named after the largest size that can transit fully laden. Laden VLCCs either go round the Cape of Good Hope or discharge part of their cargo into the SUMED pipeline, which runs from Ain Sukhna on the Red Sea to Sidi Kerir on the Mediterranean.
Transits pay Suez Canal dues, which go into the voyage costs, and since late 2023 many owners have avoided the canal because of the security situation in the Red Sea.
Related terms
Bab-el-Mandeb
Bab-el-Mandeb is the strait between Yemen and the Horn of Africa connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, on the route to and from the Suez Canal.
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope route takes ships around southern Africa instead of through Suez, the standard path for laden VLCCs between Asia and the West.
Suezmax
A Suezmax is a tanker of about 120,000 to 200,000 deadweight tonnes, the largest size that can transit the Suez Canal fully laden, carrying around 1 million barrels.
Draft
Draft (or draught) is the depth of the ship below the waterline. It limits which ports, berths and canals a laden tanker can use.