Business

German shipping company reroutes 25 ships to avoid Red Sea

Photo: JoanValls/Urbanandsport /NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo: JoanValls/Urbanandsport /NurPhoto via Getty Images
podpis źródła zdjęcia

Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd said on Thursday that it will reroute 25 ships by the end of the year to avoid the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, where Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis are targeting merchant ships.

“We will reroute around 25 vessels up to the end of 2023,” a spokesperson told Reuters. “Further decisions will be taken at the end of the year,” he added.

There has been a surge in attacks on ships in the waters of the Red Sea since terrorist organization Hamas attacked Israel on October 7.

One of Hapag-Lloyd’s ships, the Al Jasrah, which was attacked near Yemen on December 15, is on its way to Singapore, the spokesperson also said.

Apart from Hapag-Lloyd, other operators’ ships have also been attacked, including those of rivals Maersk and MSC.

Shipping freight rates and shipping stocks have risen as a result of the disruptions, which means that many East-West trades incur more expenses by having to circumnavigate Africa via the Cape of Good Hope.

The spokesperson also said the company has not yet received any detailed information about a navy task force the United States wants to build to combat the attacks in the Red Sea by conducting joint patrols.
Source: Reuters
More In Business MORE...