Revenues from the Suez Canal fell to $371.8m in August, a decline of 26 per cent compared with the same month last year.

The latest figures from the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) show that canal revenues also dropped from $382.6m in July, a high for the year (MEED 17:8:09).

Revenues in August 2008 were $504.5m, last year’s biggest earning month for the canal.

The SCA says 1,453 vessels passed through the waterway during August this year, compared to 1,521 in July and 1,993 a year earlier.

The decline in August follows a steady rise in revenues and traffic since April this year, although figures remain far below 2008 levels. Despite the collapse in global trade towards the end of 2008, the canal generated a record $5.1bn in revenues last year.