Red Sea attacks force vessels to reroute around Cape of Good Hope
Shipping companies are rerouting vessels away from Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and from Suez Canal transits, to sail the long route around the Cape of Good Hope.
PHOTO: Tug boat ahead of container ship transiting the Suez Canal, Egypt. Getty Images
Long-distance ships sailing between Asia, Europe and the North American east coast have been rerouted around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope.
It has become risky to sail through the Red Sea as ships believed to to be bound for Israel are being hit by airstrikes and drone attacks.
Container shipping line Meditarranean Shipping Company (MSC) said it would avoid the Red Sea after the Yemen-based Houthi militant group attacked one of its vessels on Friday, according to Reuters.
So far, container ship companies Evergreen, A.P. Moller-Maersk (Maersk), Hapag-Lloyd, HMM and CMA CGM have issued notices of route changes.
“We have faith that a solution enabling a return to using the Suez Canal and transiting through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden will be introduced in the near future, but at this time it remains difficult to determine exactly when this will be,” Maersk said in its latest statement.
Rerouting will add costs and delay global trade, shipping industry non-profit International Chamber of Shipping has warned.
By Konica Bhatt
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