ISMAILIA, Egypt, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) — The Suez Canal is a major lifeline for global seaborne trade, some 12 percent of which pass through the man-made canal, which is also a major source of hard currency for Egypt.

A total of 13,317 vessels passed through the canal from January to August in 2021, up by 6.7 percent from 2020, said Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority. The revenues from the canal in the first eight months also climbed by 11.6 percent year on year to 4.09 billion U.S. dollars.