Several dozen Maersk container ships will pass through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal in the coming days and weeks, according to a shipping schedule released by the global shipping giant.
The company said on Sunday it was suspending operations in the Red Sea for 48 hours after the Singapore-flagged Maersk Hangzhou vessel was fired on by Houthis. The US military said it sank three Houthi vessels and killed 10 crew members.
Rival Hapag-Lloyd said on Friday it had decided to continue diverting its vessels from Suez and the Red Sea for safety reasons, adding that the next assessment would be made on Tuesday.
Maersk alliance partner Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) continues to divert all its ships via the Cape of Good Hope, it said.
MSC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
About a third of the world’s containerised cargo passes through the Suez Canal, and diverting ships through the southern tip of Africa is expected to cost up to $1 million in additional fuel costs for each voyage between Asia and northern Europe.
