Red Sea Shipping Update 21st December 2023

Recent attacks around the Bab al-Mandeb, also known as the “Gate of Tears” in Arabic, is a narrow passage that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, have caused all major container shippers to pause or re-route ships around the Cape of Good Hope route, adding about 40% to the voyage distance.

However, we have seen some other challenges off the back of this affecting shipping.

Ocean Network Express (ONE) has refused freight to Israel – we have not as yet seen this reported in the news. Although it was reported that Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) had stopped cargo acceptance to and from Israel until further notice,

Also, we are currently having issues with Yang Ming Line shipping into Turkey.

Shipping delays are expected to continue well into the New Year.

There is some hope after U.S. Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin declared plans to establish a multinational coalition known as Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect Red Sea shipping. During his visit to the Middle East, he revealed that Britain, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain would be participating in the operation.

Contact us for further information – although we have no control of the shipments once they have left port, with updates to ETA’s purely reliant on the shipping lines.