The Suez Canal is becoming increasingly dangerous for freighters: Houthi rebels have once again fired on at least one merchant ship. Several shipping companies are now taking a detour via the tip of South Africa – and are accepting delays.
At least one other merchant ship has been attacked in the Red Sea. The chemical-laden tanker “Swan Atlantic” was hit by an unknown object, according to its Norwegian owner. No one was hurt, the owner of the ship Inventor Chemical Tankers told the business magazine “E24”. The ship is therefore still operational.
The Iran-allied Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack on the online platform X, formerly Twitter. However, the militia’s spokesman, Jahja Sarea, reported attacks on two ships – the “Swan Atlantic” and the “MSC Clara”. There is currently no confirmation from the “MSC Clara” crew or the shipping company. Crews did not respond to warnings, Sarea wrote. The rebels would continue to block all ships from sailing to Israeli ports as long as the freighters did not deliver aid to the people of the Gaza Strip.
US government circles had previously blamed the militias for the shelling of the “Swan Atlantic”. The shot down came from Yemen. A US Navy destroyer, the “USS Carney”, responded to the distress call from the Norwegian freighter and set course.
British report three possible explosions off the coast
The British Maritime Office (UKMTO) also reported three possible explosions off the coast of Yemen. An incident occurred near the Bab al-Mandab, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. The two other explosions occurred around 30 nautical miles northwest of Mocha and around 24 nautical miles southeast of the port there.
British maritime safety company Ambrey also said it had received information about a possible explosion in the water near a ship 30 nautical miles south of Mocha.
Shipping route from Asia to Europe without passing through the Red Sea
Shipping companies avoid the Suez Canal
In view of the increasingly tense security situation since the war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and the militant Islamist terrorist organization Hamas, several shipping companies want to take action. In the future, they will avoid the Suez Canal – which, however, means significantly longer routes around the southern tip of Africa and therefore higher costs.
Several ships would now be redirected via the Cape of Good Hope, a spokesman for the Hamburg container shipping company Hapag-Lloyd said after consultations with a crisis team. “This will continue until passage through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea is safe again for ships and their crews.”
Evergreen stops orders from Israel
The industry leader MSC reiterated in a message to customers that MSC ships will not sail through the Suez Canal to the east and west until passage through the Red Sea is safe. “Already some services are being rerouted and going via the Cape of Good Hope instead.”
The Taiwanese container shipping company Evergreen also announced that it would reroute ships via the southern tip of Africa. In addition, Evergreen does not want to accept any more orders from Israel for the time being, as the company announced: “In the interests of the safety of ships and crew, Evergreen Line has decided to no longer accept Israeli cargo with immediate effect and has instructed its container ships to stop sailing through the Red Sea to be suspended until further notice.”
The oil company BP has also temporarily suspended all transport through the Red Sea. This increases the risk that the crisis – which has so far mainly affected the transport of industrial goods – could also spread to the energy sector. Crude oil prices rose at the start of the week on these fears.
USA wants to form a coalition for protection
The Houthis had said they would continue their attacks until Israel ended its offensive in the Gaza Strip. At the weekend they said serious steps to alleviate the catastrophic situation facing the Palestinian population would help reduce the escalation. It was the first indication that the Houthis might be ready to ease the situation. The United States, which has sent warships to the region, has said it wants to form a coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea.
The Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean with the Red Sea, making it the shortest sea route from Asia to Europe. Around ten percent of all world trade passes through the Red Sea. Experts expect that deliveries will now be significantly delayed. Estimates range from a few days to two weeks.
Anna Osius, ARD Cairo, tagesschau, December 18, 2023 6:44 p.m