Maersk Retreats From Red Sea Return, Diverts Services Back to Cape of Good Hope

Maersk abandons Red Sea operations less than one month after February 4 restart; projects 2026 annual loss up to $1.5B.

Maersk retreated from initial plans to resume operations in the Red Sea on March 1, 2026, dividing its services across alternative routing through the Cape of Good Hope and northern European routes instead.

The world's largest container shipping company announced the decision follows escalating drone and ballistic missile attacks on commercial shipping i…