More ships traversed the Suez Canal in 2021 than ever before despite its temporary blocking by a 400-meter-long vessel and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Volumes are expected to continue to rise this year and again after a project to expand the waterway is completed, said the Suez Canal Authority. The Suez Canal generated $6.3-billion in fees from 20 694 ships passing through in 2021, said SCA’s chairperson and managing director Osama Rabie in an interview in Dubai on Sunday. Volumes will be higher in 2022, despite a 6% increase in tolling charges from February, because ship-makers are building more vessels, he said.