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AP Møller-Mærsk has said vessels due to sail through the Red Sea will be rerouted around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope because of the threat of attacks by Yemeni rebels, adding to potential disruption of vital trade through the Suez Canal.
On Tuesday Mærsk, which operates the world’s second-largest container shipping fleet, said its vessels would be diverted due to the “highly escalated security situation”. The company had paused all vessels due to pass through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait last Friday because of security concerns.
“The attacks we have seen on commercial vessels in the area are alarming and pose a significant threat to the safety and security of seafarers,” the company said in a statement. “This decision was taken to ensure the safety of our crews, vessels and customers’ cargo onboard.”
Iran-backed Houthi rebels have intensified their campaign against ships passing through the Suez Canal following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, with more than 10 attacks on ships in the area since then.
Maersk’s decision coincides with similar moves by other shipping groups. Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd diverted all ships on Monday to go via the Cape of Good Hope, while MSC made the decision on Friday to reroute some of its services.
“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and stay in direct consultation with authorities, industry bodies and all relevant counterparts,” said Lasse Kristoffersen, chief executive of shipping company Wallenius Wilhelmsen, which announced on Tuesday it was taking similar measures to divert vessels around Africa. The rerouting is expected to add between one to two weeks to voyage durations.
The attacks in the area risk disrupting global supply chains that depend on the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. The waterway accounts for 30 per cent of all container ship traffic and is a vital conduit for crude oil shipments.
Michael Aldwell, executive vice-president of Swiss logistics group Kuehne+Nagel said some 19,000 ships navigated through the Suez Canal each year, typically taking 30 to 40 days to complete an Asia-Europe voyage. “Choosing this alternative route from Asia to Europe may extend the journey by three to four weeks,” he added.
Maersk said that, as of Monday, it had about 20 vessels paused, half of which were waiting east of the Gulf of Aden and the rest waiting south or north of the Suez Canal. BP became the first oil major to pause all shipments through the area on Monday.
Trafigura, one of the world’s largest commodities traders, said on Friday it was “taking additional precautions” for its owned and chartered vessels.
The decision to divert ships comes as US defence secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday announced an expanded international task force to protect ships passing through the Red Sea, which would include the UK, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain. The group will conduct joint patrols in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
“This is an international challenge that demands collective action,” he said.
Aldwell said: “The extended time spent on the water is anticipated to absorb 20 per cent of the global fleet capacity, leading to potential delays in the availability of shipping resources.”
