Danish shipping giant Maersk has announced it will stop shipping containers through the Red Sea and that Europe-bound ships will be rerouted around South Africa, which will mean a longer journey and lead to supply disruptions.
“Following yesterday’s incident with the Maersk Gibraltar and another attack on a container ship today, we have ordered all Maersk vessels in the area due to pass through the Bab al-Mandab Strait to suspend their voyages until new notice,” Maersk said.
Bab al-Mandabi is the strait that separates Asia and Africa. The strait connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean. Yemen’s Houthi rebels are also active in the region.
Houthi rebels are now attacking oil tankers off the coast of Yemen. Increasing rebel attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea threaten global trade.
Maersk is one of the largest shipping companies in the world, the company also transports crude oil. The company’s latest decision could also put the recovery of the global economy at risk.
German shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd announced Thursday evening that it will also temporarily suspend the movement of its container ships in the Red Sea.
2023-12-15 17:33:00
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