The route of the Suez Canal, through which 10% of goods from all over the world transit, is again compromised a little more than two years after the episode of the Ever Given, the ship that paralyzed for six days the world's maritime transport because it was crossed between the locks.
The four major Western cargo operators have decided to suspend their activity in the Red Sea and with it the Suez Canal due to security concerns following attacks by Houthi militias on their merchant ships in response to the Gaza war . The tension continues and yesterday US and British destroyers shot down several attack drones that were targeting Western ships.
The world's first operator, MSC, based in Switzerland, and the third, CMA CGM, announced yesterday separately the temporary suspension of navigation in the area. They joined the Danish Maersk, the second most important group, and the German Hapag-Lloyd, fifth in the classification, who decided to take a similar decision on Friday. The Chinese company Cosco, whose ships have not been threatened, is the only major one that now operates in the area.
The Houthis claim that the attacks are targeting ships en route to Israel, but two of the four ships affected were destined for Saudi Arabia. According to the information from the same companies, two MSC vessels, one from Hapag-Lloyd and the last one from Maersk have been affected during these days, which were attacked but were not touched. A few days ago there was also an attack on an oil tanker.
The Suez Canal handles the traffic of 1,207 million tonnes a year, around half of which is goods and another significant percentage of hydrocarbons, according to the Suez Canal Authority (SCA). The Egyptian infrastructure brings in around 8.6 billion euros a year and is key above all for trade between Europe and Asia. An average of 51 ships pass through it a day.
The operators will have to provisionally use the Cape of Good Hope route, which increases transport costs and prolongs transfers between seven and ten days, at a particularly sensitive time due to the proximity of Christmas. In recent days, in view of the growing insecurity, the managers of the Suez Canal had reduced the passage fees by 15% to 20% to prevent shipping companies from taking the alternative route.
The experts consulted highlight the importance of the Suez Canal for Europe and the somewhat more limited impact for the rest of the world. The first consequence will be delays in deliveries, although in view of the Christmas campaign many shops are already stocked and there should not be a significant disruption. The big fear now is that Iran could block the Strait of Hormuz, through which most of the world's oil and natural gas tankers pass, which would have unpredictable consequences.
Yesterday the US command in the region reported that its destroyer Carney, which has a missile interception system, shot down 14 drones during the morning of Saturday. British Defense Minister Grant Shaps also announced that the destroyer HMS Diamond had shot down "a drone believed to be targeting merchant ships in the Red Sea". He warned that the wave of attacks represents "a direct threat to international trade and maritime security".
Meanwhile, freight operators provided details on the measures taken and the attacks suffered. "The situation deteriorates at times and the concern for security is increasing", CMA CGM said in a statement, referring to the problems on this route, that of Bab al-Mandab.
MSC confirmed in a statement yesterday that two of its ships were attacked in the Red Sea on Friday and explained that the incident did not cause injuries, although there was a "limited fire" that put the cargo ship out of service . "Until the passage of the Red Sea is safe, MSC ships will not transit through the Suez Canal," he said.
Maersk announced on Friday that, following the "near miss" of its ship Maersk Gibraltar a day earlier, it would suspend operations until further notice, as did Hapag-Lloyd.
