Decision Looms Tuesday for Maersk Red Sea Routes Post-Attack

by Terje Solsvik (Reuters) – Denmark’s Maersk will decide on Tuesday whether to resume sending vessels through the Suez Canal via the Red Sea or redirect them around Africa following a weekend attack on one of its ships, a company spokesperson said.

The container shipping giant on Sunday paused all Red Sea sailings for 48 hours following attempts by Yemen-based Houthi militants to board the Maersk Hangzhou. U.S. military helicopters repelled the assault and killed 10 of the attackers.

Maersk had more than 30 container vessels set to sail through Suez via the Red Sea, an advisory on Monday showed, while 17 other voyages were put on hold.

A decision will be taken on Tuesday regarding how to proceed, the company spokesperson said.

Also Read: 299 Containerships Reroute to Avoid the Red Sea, Doubling in Number from Last Week

The Hangzhou, which was hit by an unknown object during the attack, was able to continue on its way with LSEG shipping data showing the vessel now close to the Suez Canal.

The Iranian-backed Houthis, who control parts of Yemen after years of war, started attacking international shipping in November in support for Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in its war with Israel in the Gaza Strip.

Major shipping groups, including Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, last month stopped using Red Sea routes, instead taking the longer journey around southern Africa via the Cape of Good Hope.

After the deployment of a U.S.-led military operation to protect ships, however, Maersk on Dec. 24 announced it would resume using the Red Sea.

Today, Hapag-Lloyd, a rival company, announced its decision to extend the avoidance of Red Sea routes until at least January 9th.

“We monitor the situation closely day-by-day, but will continue to reroute our vessels until Jan. 9,” the spokesperson for Hapag-Lloyd, the world’s fifth biggest container liner, said today.

Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd Extends Red Sea Route Diversionhttps://t.co/BIs3zFYEjj

— gCaptain (@gCaptain) January 2, 2024

According to Maersk, its alliance partner Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) was continuing to divert its vessels via the Cape of Good Hope.

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MSC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Suez Canal is used by roughly one-third of global container ship cargo.

Re-directing ships around the southern tip of Africa is expected to cost up to $1 million in extra in fuel for every round trip between Asia and Northern Europe.

(Reporting by Terje Solsvik; editing by Michael Perry and Jason Neely, Reuters)

Full Red Sea Coverage: Red Sea Shipping Attacks