Source: Suez Canal Authority. Data for 2009 is an extrapolation from Jan-Jul 2009 figures.

Tonnage and Number of Transits, Suez Canal, 1980-2009

The number of ships transiting and the tonnage handled by the Suez Canal underline two subsequent trends. Up to 2002, the number of transits was in net decline while the tonnage handled was steadily increasing. This reflected the application of economies of scale, particularly in container shipping. After 2002, global trade was booming, so did the number of transits. The tonnage handled more than doubled and at a rate faster than the number of transits, implying that economies of scale were also taking place. The global economic slowdown that began in 2008 had a substantial impact on the traffic handled by the Suez Canal with traffic and tonnage down by about 25%.