Half of the container ships that regularly travel through the Red Sea and Suez Canal are now avoiding the route due to the threat of attacks, according to the latest industry data. Compiled statistics show that 299 cargo ships with a combined capacity of 4.3 million containers have either changed their routes or have plans to do so. This is roughly double the amount from a week ago, equivalent to approximately 18% of global capacity.
According to Flexport, compared with shipping between Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal, rerouting to Africa would take up to 25% longer. At the same time, the cost is also higher. If it continues, the prices of various consumer goods, whether it is sports shoes, food, or crude oil, may rise.
Some ships that continue to use Red Sea shipping lanes are trying to demonstrate their neutrality. According to ship tracking data compiled by TankerTrackers.com and Bloomberg, three ships, including two container ships and an oil tanker, are currently passing through the waterway and suggest there is no connection to Israel. All three ships have previously called at Russia.
Flexport's figures reflect a trend that is broadly in line with calculations by Swiss freight forwarder Kuehne+Nagel International AG, which showed that as of Wednesday, 364 ships carrying a combined capacity of 5 million 20-foot containers had been diverted to Africa. On December 22, it was 314 ships.