- Title: Suez canal ship grounding 'sets everyone back': industry experts
- Date: 25th March 2021
- Summary: THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS (MARCH 25, 2021) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) PORT OF ROTTERDAM SPOKESPERSON, LEON WILLEMS, SAYING: "If it takes several weeks or even more, sure, that will have a big impact, but also on any other ports in northwestern Europe for that matter."
- Embargoed: 8th April 2021 14:53
- Keywords: Suez Canal industry ship grounding
- Location: AMSTERDAM &THE HAGUE & VLAARDINGEN, THE NETHERLANDS/ SUEZ, EGYPT/ GRAPHICS
- City: AMSTERDAM &THE HAGUE & VLAARDINGEN, THE NETHERLANDS/ SUEZ, EGYPT/ GRAPHICS
- Country: Netherlands
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents,Sea Accidents,Europe
- Reuters ID: LVA005E5KXFEV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Industry players and experts in international trade said on Thursday (March 25) the Suez canal ship grounding would likely impact trade, which has already been under pressure the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A container ship blocking the Suez Canal like a "beached whale" sent new shockwaves through global trade on Thursday as officials stopped all ships entering the channel and the salvage company said it may take weeks to free.
The 400-metre (430-yard) Ever Given, almost as long as the Empire State Building is high, is blocking transit in both directions through one of the world's busiest shipping channels for oil and grain and other trade linking Asia and Europe.
The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said eight tugs were working to move the vessel, which got stuck diagonally across the single-lane southern stretch of the canal on Tuesday morning amid high winds and a dust storm.
Several dozen vessels, including other large container ships, tankers carrying oil and gas, and bulk vessels hauling grain, have backed up at either end of the canal to create one of the worst shipping jams seen for years.
Leon Willems, the spokesperson of Rotterdam Port, which is where Ever Given was bound, said they are hoping for the best.
"If the bottleneck is stuck, then everybody bears the consequences of that. Let's hope that it'll only be hopefully a matter of days before the canal is open."
Roughly 30% of the world's shipping container volume transits through the 193 km (120 miles) Suez Canal daily, and about 12% of total global trade of all goods.
Shipping experts say that if the blockage is unlikely to be cleared in the coming days, some shipping firms may re-route vessels around the southern tip of Africa, which would add roughly a week to the journey.
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