This post was reviewed for accuracy on 26/04/2024
Update: 26/04/2024
Attacks on vessels in the Red Sea have increased which unfortunately means no end in sight for re-routing goods around the Cape of Good Hope.
China have also taken vessels out of circulation to increase the cost of shipping which means there may be an increase in blank sailings (schedules being cancelled).
We are also seeing delays at UK ports where vessels are arriving later than expected due to port congestion, requiring vessels to stop at nearby ports first to offload containers destined for UK ports then using feeder vessels to get the goods to their destination.
Update: 23/02/2024
The attacks on commercial vessels are still ongoing and are expected to continue well into 2024.
It is therefore expected that the re-routing of vessels will continue which will impact costs further into 2024.
The longer routes are taking a large proportion of space out of the market due to the vessels being at sea for longer periods of time therefore, increasing supply and demand.
However, the good news is, as this becomes the new normal, shipping lines will become better at estimating the arrival dates so there will be less changes to schedules.
Update: 11/01/2024
Unfortunately due to the ongoing attacks and increased risk of routing vessels through the Red Sea, shipping lines have made the decision to continue routing ships around the Cape Of Good Hope.
Below is the current route vessels are taking to avoid the Red Sea and Suez Canal:
There have not yet been confirmed dates from the shipping lines when they will resume route through the Red Sea so for now this is the new normal, however, we will keep this page updated when we know more.
Update: 27/12/2023
A multi-national security initiative ‘Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG)’ has been launched to allow vessels to resume their routes through the Red Sea to proceed with their journeys through the Suez Canal.
Shipping lines are currently working on plans for the first vessel to make the journey while ensuring the safety of the crew on board. Any shipments that are currently on the water are likely to have already been routed around Africa so these delays will unfortunately remain in place.
Update: 22/12/2023
Shipping lines have suspended their vessels from entering the Red Sea following Yemen-based rebels attacking ships via drone, whose goal is to put wider pressure on Israel to stop bombing of the Gaza Strip.
This route through the Red Sea is a key entry point to the Suez Canal. Without passage through the Red Sea, vessels may be forced to divert around Africa to complete their journey to the UK, this could cause a delay of a couple of weeks for any lines that decide to re-route their ships, causing a knock-on effect to rates due to the increased fuel used to complete this journey.
Shipping lines were already planning on a price increase in January due to Chinese New Year, as shippers fight to secure space on vessels before China closes for a couple of weeks in early-February 2024.
The rates are due to dramatically increase to cover the added fuel consumption while re-routing around the Cape of Good Hope which will add around 3,500 nautical miles to the trip. The added miles will cause around a 2-week delay to current arrival dates with the possibility of more delays once goods arrive at the UK due to port congestion with the schedules being pushed back.
Some vessels are currently in the Red Sea so may make it through before the suspension, however, those that have not yet made it through may be required to turn around and route around Africa.
We are currently issuing updates to any customers affected by schedule changes. We are unsure how long this diversion will be in place, however, we will keep this page up to date with any developments.
If you’d like to discuss the possible knock-on effects of this situation, please feel free to get in touch.