Shipping giant Maersk returns to the Red Sea after Houthi attacks
Shipping giant Maersk said on Wednesday that after about a week of avoiding the Red Sea and the Suez Canal due to attacks on shipping, it was sending its ships through the canal again.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia has attacked ships in the Red Sea, saying they are taking revenge for Israel’s military actions against Hamas in Gaza. A US-led naval force was assembled to defend ships in the Red Sea and warships already there have prevented attacks on ships.
a shipping advice Maersk’s release on Wednesday showed several of its ships were heading to the Suez Canal, which handles about 12 percent of global trade.
“We continue to prepare our ships for the transit of the Red Sea, and any deviation from this decision will be considered on a case-by-case basis,” Maersk said in a statement.
The attacks at the Suez Canal are disrupting global shipping at a time when fewer ships can pass through the Panama Canal due to drought. After the Houthi attacks, shipping rates rose and maritime companies trying to avoid the Red Sea steered their ships around the Cape of Good Hope, driving up costs and causing delays.
Hapag-Lloyd, a major German shipping company, was still avoiding the Red Sea, its spokesman said on Wednesday. MSC, a Swiss-based shipping company, said one of its ships was attacked on Tuesday but no injuries were reported.
“Our first priority remains protecting the lives and safety of our seafarers, and until their safety can be guaranteed, MSC will continue to divert ships booked for Suez transit via the Cape of Good Hope,” the company said . said in a press release.
Many carriers, including Evergreen, Hapag-Lloyd, MSC and Maersk, had diverted ships around Africa and imposed container surcharges on some shipments to cover the extra costs.
Shipment tracking websites show many ships now transiting the Red Sea, including oil tankers.
More than 400 cargo ships have been sent on a 6,000-nautical-mile detour, effectively cutting trade capacity between Asia and Europe by 25 percent, UBS analysts said.
Brooks Barnes reporting contributed.