Suez Canal blocked after cargo ship Ever Given turns sideways
A ship has got stuck in the Suez Canal this morning (Thursday, May 25) blocking one of the world’s busiest – and most important – shipping routes.
Xin Hai Tong 23, a 189m-long bulk carrier sailing under the flag of Hong Kong, was en route to Dutch port of Rotterdam when it reportedly ran aground in Egypt.
The Leth Shipping Agency reports that tugboats are trying to re-float to vessel. The agency says at least four other ships are stuck behind it.
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The Suez canal runs between Port Said (Būr Sa’īd) on the Mediterranean Sea and Suez (al-Suways) on the Red Sea. It enables shipping from the far east to get to Europe without having to make the long voyage around Africa.
About 12% of global trade – including around one million barrels of oil and roughly 8% of liquefied natural gas – pass through the canal each day. In 2021, the Ever Given caused chaos for a shipping industry already under pressure from Covid-related supply chain when it was stick in the Suez canal for six days.
Lloyd’s List data revealed Ever Green held up an estimated $9.6bn of trade along the waterway each day. That equates to $400m and 3.3 million tonnes of cargo an hour, or $6.7m a minute.
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