12 Container Ships Change Course from Red Sea Due to Terror Threat

Recent attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Straits of Hormuz have led to concerns about the safety of vessels in the region. While these attacks have targeted Israeli-linked ships in the past, recent incidents, such as the drone strike on the OOCL chartered containership Number 9, had no current Israeli links. As a result, some 12 containerships have diverted from transiting the Suez Canal to the longer route via the Cape of Good Hope, with another six ships expected to follow suit. Maersk and ZIM have publicly announced that they are diverting some vessels from the region.

The diversion by the Cape of Good Hope on a voyage from Shanghai to Rotterdam at a speed of 18 knots would increase the transit time from 25 to 33 days. Alphaliner commented that it remained to be seen if shipping lines would deploy extra tonnage or skip some port calls on affected services. The newsletter also noted that among the vessels that have already started their diversion are various sizes of containerships, including units of 4,250 teu, 5,000 – 6,000 teu, 15,000 teu, and 19,000 teu. There is a call for governments to protect shipping in the Red Sea, and the situation continues to develop.

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