As of Tuesday the 23rd of March 2021, Egypt’s Suez Canal is blocked by a container ship that has run aground in high winds. This will have a knock on effect on a lot of shipments being imported to the UK from Asia.
Here’s a link to the BBC story – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-56505413
In addition to the already disrupted industry, which has seen multiple delays due to global port congestion and lack of space on vessels, the grounding of the Ever Given will add to the delays.
The incident has already had knock-on effects as other vessels have been prevented from passing. Tugs and diggers are working hard to re-float the vessel but this could take days.
Approximately 10% of global trade passes through the Suez Canal with an average of more than 50 ships per day.
All Shippo’s customers, with goods on the Ever Given, have been contacted. However, if you are concerned about how your shipment may be affected, please get in contact. As soon as we have further updates we will keep all customers updated with altered schedules if your shipment is affected.
You can track the progress of the Ever Given’s recovery here: