The giant container ship that blocked the Suez Canal was partially floated again early Monday, days after the ship got stuck and stalled a major global trade route.
A statement from the Suez Canal Authority said the ship known as Ever Given “responded to the pulling and towing maneuvers”. It added that the ship’s course has been corrected by 80% and further maneuvers will continue if the water level rises later in the day.
The statement followed an earlier tweet from maritime service company Inchcape that said the Ever Given has been floated and secured.
It remains unclear what the condition of the stranded ship is and when the canal would be open to traffic. Inchcape says “more information will follow as soon as it is known”.
The efforts to free the mega-ship took almost a week. The ship got stuck last Tuesday after running aground when entering the Suez Canal from the Red Sea.
Ever Given is one of the largest container ships in the world. It is a 220,000 ton mega-ship with a capacity of 20,000 containers that is nearly a quarter mile long.
The ship completely blocked the canal, which is home to up to 12% of the world’s maritime trade, creating a traffic jam with hundreds of ships waiting to enter the Suez.
Maritime data showed that at least ten tankers and container ships changed course to avoid the congestion on the Suez Canal. These include at least two US ships transporting natural gas for Cheniere and Shell / BG Group.
The crisis, now on the sixth day, has heightened concerns about the global supply chain, which has already been hit by the coronavirus pandemic. According to Lloyd’s List, each day the blockade disrupts more than $ 9 billion worth of goods, which is roughly $ 400 million an hour.
Problem not yet resolved
Experts told CNBC that problems caused by the Suez Blockade will not immediately subside once the Ever Given is released.
A flyer image published by the Suez Canal Authority on March 24, 2021 shows part of the Taiwanese MV Ever Given (Evergreen), a 400-meter-long and 59-meter-wide ship that is stationed to the side and obstructs all traffic on the waterway of the Egyptian Suez Canal.
Suez Canal Authority | AFP | Getty Images
Tim Huxley, director of Mandarin Shipping, said it will take “some time” for traffic to cross the narrow canal. And when these ships and tankers arrive at their destinations, the ports are likely to experience congestion that will also take some time to clear, he added.
It will take a while for the entire supply chain to return to normal, and this will affect manufacturers and retailers across the board.
Tim Huxley
Director, Mandarin Shipping
“Typically about 50 ships pass through the canal a day. Right now there are about 300 ships that are secured. This is a huge congestion that is at both ends of the canal,” he told CNBC. Street Signs Asia “on Monday.
“It will take a while for the entire supply chain to return to normal and that will affect manufacturers and retailers across the board,” said Huxley.
– CNBC’s Matt Clinch, Natasha Turak and Lori Ann LaRocco contributed to this report.
