Suez Canal records first transit of mega-ship OOCL PORTUGAL as tonnage rises

The Suez Canal Authority reported that the waterway witnessed the first transit of the mega container ship OOCL PORTUGAL as part of the north convoy, a development published by reports on 17 September 2026 and announced by Adm. Ossama Rabiee, Chairman and Managing Director of the authority.

Adm. Rabiee said the passage of OOCL PORTUGAL took place amid a broader uptick in container-ship activity through the Canal, and the report also noted the return of COSCO to Suez transits, underlining a renewed pattern of fleet movements through the corridor.

Traffic volumes

The Suez Canal Authority reported a rise in the total net tonnages of container ships transiting the Canal, which reached 72.1 million tons during the first eight months of 2026, a figure presented by Adm. Rabiee in the announcement carried by reports.

That total was described as an increase in net tonnage for container vessel transits through the Canal, indicating heavier aggregated loads or larger ships calling on the route during the January to August 2026 period.

Vessel movements

OOCL PORTUGAL was identified in the announcement as a mega container ship making its first transit among vessels of the north convoy, a movement the Suez Canal Authority highlighted when reporting recent traffic developments.

The same announcement recorded the return of COSCO to the Canal, a detail the authority placed alongside the OOCL PORTUGAL passage and the tonnage statistics as evidence of shifting patterns in transits and operator participation.

Adm. Rabiee, in his capacity as Chairman and Managing Director, framed these items as notable features of current Canal traffic, presenting both the single-vessel milestone and the aggregate tonnage figure as part of the authority’s traffic briefing published on 17 September 2026.

The authority’s figures for the first eight months of 2026 and the highlighted vessel movements were reported, which carried the details of Adm. Rabiee’s statements to the maritime press, and the items were presented together in the outlet’s coverage.

Taken together, the announcements set out by the Suez Canal Authority point to a period of intensified container-ship activity through the Canal corridor during the first two thirds of 2026, with both a high aggregate tonnage figure and individual vessel milestones cited by the authority in its recent reporting.