Rerouting the merchant fleet around Africa is estimated to cost up to $1 million in fuel per voyage.
Container carriers from Denmark's Maersk and Germany's Hapag-Lloyd will avoid the Red Sea route after the attack on the Maersk Hangzhou, both companies announced on January 2, 2024
This is written by TTS with reference to Reuters.
Both shipping giants sent part of their fleets through the Cape of Good Hope after the Maersk Hangzhou was attacked twice last weekend: first it came under fire, then Houthi forces in four small boats approached the container ship, opened fire and attempted to board it.
"The investigation into the incident is ongoing and we will continue to suspend all cargo traffic through the area while we assess the ever-changing situation. In cases where it is most appropriate for our customers, vessels will reroute and continue around the Cape of Good Hope," it said. Maersk said in a statement.
Hapag-Lloyd plans to direct vessels to the Cape of Good Hope route at least until January 9, after which a new decision will be made based on an analysis of the situation.
Rerouting the merchant fleet around Africa is estimated to cost up to $1 million in fuel for each round trip between Asia and northern Europe.
We will remind, on December 26, the Danish liner container carrier AP Moller-Maersk announced that it plans to return its ships to the route through the Red Sea. The company explained this decision as the beginning of the US Navy operation to ensure the safety of shipping in this region. "As of December 24, 2023, we have received confirmation that a coalition of allies led by the US Navy has been formed, forces are already deployed to secure the passage of naval vessels through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and to restore the use of the Suez Canal as a transportation artery between Asia and Europe ", the company noted.
TTS wrote that shipping companies have started diverting vessels from the Middle East region amid more frequent attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Some companies try not to ship to the region at all, opting instead to go around Africa, adding about two weeks to the journey.
Risks to shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, through which about 10% of the world's seaborne oil flows, have increased amid Israel's war with Hamas. Yemen's Houthis have expressed their support for the Palestinians and are attacking ships in the strait.