The ongoing supply chain crisis persists, exerting a profound impact on global trade as the dynamic situation in the Red Sea unfolds further in the aftermath of recent attacks on container ships by Houthi militants.
On Dec 31st, Maersk announced a 48-hour halt for all transits in the Red Sea region following a missile attack on the Maersk Hangzhou at approximately 1730 GMT on Saturday, located 55 nautical miles southwest of Al Hodeidah, Yemen.
Subsequently, at around 0330 GMT on Sunday, the same vessel faced an assault by Houthi militants utilising four small boats. However, the attackers' attempt to board the ship was thwarted, according to Maersk and CENTCOM's statements.
The Maersk Hangzhou, flying the Singapore flag and capable of carrying 14,000 containers, was en route from Singapore.Â
Aftermath of the Incident
- Major shipping companies continue opting for the longer and more expensive route around Africa's Cape of Good Hope instead of the Suez Canal.
- Maritime freight rates have surged three to four times within a week. Container shipping costs from China to the U.K. are reportedly more than quadrupled.Â
- Based on industry reports, the number of containerships rerouting to avoid the Red Sea has doubled from the previous week, reaching nearly 300 ships.
Shipping Companies' Response to the Red Sea AttacksÂ
Following is the response by major shipping companies (updated on Feb 20th).
| Carrier |
Advisory Date |
Update |
| C.H. ROBINSON |
Dec 22nd |
Rerouted over 25 vessels around the Cape of Good Hope in the past week. Expects blank sailings and price hikes to continue into Q1 of 2024. Highly recommends that bookings are made 4 to 6 weeks in advance in order to provide space and equipment. |
| CMA CGM |
Feb 1st |
CMA CGM remained the only carrier to transit the Red Sea. While some vessels were rerouted, some made the transit through the Red Sea. However, the carrier’s recent advisory states that from February 1st, 2024, until further notice, all services initially routed via the Red Sea passage will now follow the Cape of Good Hope routing. |
| EVERGREEN |
Dec 22nd |
Vessels on regional services to Red Sea ports sailed to safe waters, awaiting further notification. Ships scheduled for the Red Sea rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope. Temporarily stopped accepting Israeli cargo. |
| HAPAG-LLOYD |
Jan 23rd |
The carrier will continue diverting the vessels via the Cape of Good Hope until further notice and will revert to routing the vessels through the Red Sea and Suez Canal when deemed safe. |
| HMM |
Dec 19th |
Ordered ships from Europe, which generally use the Suez Canal, to reroute via the Cape of Good Hope indefinitely from Dec. 15. |
| KLAVENESS |
Dec 28th |
Unlikely to sail vessels in the Red Sea unless the situation improves. |
| MAERSK |
Feb 15th |
Maersk suspended vessel transits of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in January after attacks on its vessels by Houthi rebels. The carrier would extend its diversion of vessels from the Red Sea for the “foreseeable future”. The shipping company has added roughly 6 per cent of extra container capacity to its schedule to offset delays due to the longer transit around the Cape of Good Hope. |
| MSC |
Jan 24th |
MSC ships will not transit the Suez Canal Eastbound and Westbound until the Red Sea passage is safe again. The shipping line is adapting its East-West routes to manage this disruption. As such, rotations will be changed, and vessels will be added to limit the disruption on the sailing schedule of the rerouting via the Cape. |
| OCEAN NETWORK EXPRESS |
Jan 25th |
The carrier announced the temporary suspension of the Asia Red Sea 1 service (AR1). AR1 service will resume as soon as it is deemed safe for vessels to operate in the area again. |
| OOCL |
Jan 10th |
Guided vessels to either divert route or suspend sailing to the Red Sea. Stopped cargo acceptance to and from Israel until further notice. |
| O.S.K. LINES |
Jan 15th |
The carrier has temporarily suspended all ships scheduled to enter the Red Sea, or the Gulf of Aden to date. The step will be in place until improvement in the situation is confirmed. |
| WALLENIUS WILHELMSEN |
Jan 10th |
Halted Red Sea transits until further notice. Rerouting vessels via the Cape of Good Hope will add 1-2 weeks to voyage durations. |
| YANG MING MARINE TRANSPORT |
Jan 24th |
The shipping line has diverted ships sailing through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden via the Cape of Good Hope. AR1 will be temporarily suspended until further notice. |
Red Sea Attack Impact on Container Vessels: List of Affected Vessels
Stay informed with our updated and dynamic spreadsheet, providing real-time insights into impacted ships. We'll consistently provide daily updates to keep the logistics community abreast of container vessels undergoing substantial route alterations in the Red Sea, redirecting towards South Africa.
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If you need confirmation about the status of your cargo and the possibility of delays, we encourage you to schedule a consultation with our team of experts.
Follow our Red Sea Crisis Bulletin to get all latest updates.
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