China News Service, March 27, reported that a heavy cargo ship flying the Panamanian flag ran aground on the new waterway of the Suez Canal, causing congestion in the waterway and arousing many concerns.
Experts pointed out that supply chain delays caused by the congestion of the Suez Canal may cause product prices to rise.
Rescue work is still continuing, and the cargo ship owned by Japan Masaei Steamship Co., Ltd. stated on the 26th that "striving to achieve relief on the evening of the 27th, Japan time".
At the same time, the United States and Turkey respectively expressed their willingness to provide assistance to Egypt.
The picture shows a cargo ship stranded on the new channel of the Suez Canal.
Many shipping companies are considering detouring cargo ships on the evening of the 27th to achieve de-shallowing?
The Egyptian Suez Canal Authority issued a statement on the 24th that a heavy cargo ship flying the Panamanian flag ran aground on the new channel of the Suez Canal on the 23rd, causing congestion in the channel.
The stranded cargo ship was about 400 meters long and 59 meters wide, and was sailing towards the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
Japan’s Kyodo News reported that the ship’s owner, Masae Steamship Company of Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, Japan, stated on the 26th that "striving to achieve a break from the shallow on the evening of the 27th, Japan time".
President Yukito Higaki apologized at the press conference and said: "It has caused the canal route to be blocked and caused a lot of trouble for many people." It is said that the current relief operation is being carried out during the high tide, and it is possible that the next opportunity for relief is in Japan. Time on the evening of March 27.
The cause of the stranding is still under investigation.
"Central News Agency" quoted an industry source as saying that "it is the first time we have seen this situation." The world is paying attention to the movement of cargo ships. If it can move this weekend, then there will be no big follow-up problems. Solving the problem of stuck canal, the impact will be greater.
However, according to previous media reports, the rescue time cannot be determined, but it may take several weeks.
At present, many container shipping companies have indicated that they are considering a detour to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.
The picture shows a large number of ships moored at the entrance of the Suez Canal.
Delays in the supply chain of international trade may cause product prices to rise
The Suez Canal is located at the key point of the intercontinental zone of Europe, Asia and Africa, connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
The income from the canal is one of the main sources of Egyptian national fiscal revenue and foreign exchange reserves.
The Russian satellite network reported that Deutsche News Agency quoted the international insurance giant Allianz Group to estimate that the interruption of the Suez Canal shipping will cause losses to international trade between 6 billion and 10 billion US dollars per week.
Allianz Group pointed out that in 2019, as many as 1.25 million tons of goods were transported through the Suez Canal, accounting for 13% of the total global trade.
Allianz said: "This accident will cause delays in the delivery of daily products to consumers around the world."
Analysts of Allianz Group believe that the blockage of the Suez Canal will exacerbate the problem of delayed or cancelled deliveries in international trade.
Allianz pointed out that the impact of this incident on Europe may be comparable to the consequences of the first European blockade due to the new crown epidemic in the spring of 2020, and the impact on the United States may be even greater.
The delay of waterway cargo ships may affect the transportation of products in Europe and even the United States, including the coffee used in products such as toilet paper and Nescafe.
Zhongguo coffee is the second largest variety of coffee produced in the world, accounting for about 30% of global coffee production.
“Because a very large ship blocked the Suez Canal, the transportation of coffee will also be delayed.” Coffee importer Traboca said on social media on the 26th.
"This may even affect your coffee. Please contact your supplier and logistics team for the latest information on transportation."
Jennifer Biskelly, the founder of technology company Interos, told suppliers that the accident could cause supply chain problems for companies ranging from oil to cars, bicycles, clothing and electronics.
Experts pointed out that supply chain delays caused by the congestion of the Suez Canal may cause product prices to rise.
The picture shows the bow of a cargo ship stranded on the new channel of the Suez Canal stuck on the shore.
Follow closely and observe U.S.-Turkey proposal to help Egypt "unblock" the river
White House spokesperson Jane Psaki said on the 26th that the United States is closely monitoring the Suez Canal and has offered to help Egyptian partners solve this problem.
Psaki said in his daily briefing: “We are closely monitoring the situation. We understand that the Egyptian government is working hard to remove the ship as soon as possible and unblock the canal. During our diplomatic communication, we are The Egyptian side offered to help open the canal."
She added that she will continue to consult with Egypt on this issue.
In addition, Turkey also proposed to Egypt to send the shipwreck rescue ship "Grandma Hatton" to assist the cargo ship stranded in the Suez Canal to escape.
Turkey’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure said: “We have already offered assistance to the Egyptian brothers. If we get a positive response from them, our'Grandma Hatton' is one of the few machines in the world capable of performing such operations.”