Vessel diversions to avoid Suez curbed as canal reopens

Vessel operators are returning their ships to the standard rotations after many vessels were diverted via the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the Ever Given blockage of the Suez Canal, although some ships had already diverted to the Cape and will continue those journeys.

[s2If is_user_logged_in()]Voyages around the African Cape can take an extra 10-12 days sailing and will increase fuel consumption, but with the uncertainty over the length of the delay in the Suez Canal owners opted to divert at least some vessels.

With the waterway now unblocked and convoys through the canal moving, with the backlog clearing rapidly, at least at the canal bottleneck, owners are again directing vessels to use the canal.

Maersk stated yesterday (29 March), “Having received the good news that the Ever Given vessel had been re-floated and on its way to anchorage at the Great Bitter Lake, as well as expecting the canal to be opened for passage within the next 12-24 hours, we have decided to turn around two of our redirected vessel to continue their original route via the Suez Canal.”

The Danish carrier has published the latest overview of its redirected vessels:

Meanwhile, Maersk’s 2M Alliance partner, Mediterranean Shipping Company MSC has also said that the Suez Canal incident will impact its operations.

MSC has redirected some vessels in order to keep cargo flowing by other routes, so transit via Suez is definitively cancelled in the following cases, according to the line.

Vessels being re-routed via the Cape of Good Hope:

• Australia Express service: MSC SINDY, voyage MA109A
• 2M America service: MAERSK ALGOL, voyage 108E
• 2M Elephant service: MAERSK SKARSTIND, voyage 109E
• 2M Emerald service: BREMEN, voyage UL108W
• 2M Emerald service: MSC BILBAO, voyage UL109W
• INDUSA service: NORTHERN JAVELIN, voyage IV109R
• INDUSA service: VARNA BAY, voyage IV110R
• NWC to IPAK service: CONTI CORTESIA, voyage IP111R
• 2M Lion Service: MSC AMSTERDAM, voyage QL110W
• 2M Albatross service: MERETE MAERSK, voyage 111E
• 2M Silk Service: MAERSK MADISON, voyage 111E

In the meantime, the folowing MSC vessels will turn back:

• India-Med Service: MSC STELLA, voyage MI109R, will discharge cargo at King Abdullah Port on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast, south of the Suez Canal, and return to India.
• INDUSA Service: SEAMAX DARIEN, voyage IV108R, will discharge cargo in Mediterranean ports awaiting further orders.

“All major container carriers’ services have been affected by this incident, which has temporarily disabled one of the most important arteries in global trade,” commented MSC.

In addition, CMA CGM mentioned it is monitoring the situation with its local teams and the Suez Canal’s authorities and has announced that in order to mitigate the impact of the incident, it has decided to divert a couple of vessels around the Cape of Good Hope.

Furthermore, COSCO-owned Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) has decided to redirect the following vessels via Cape of Good Hope aiming to minimise supply chain disruptions.

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