COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – Disruptions to maritime traffic are worsening in the Red Sea and are expected to reduce carrier capacities on routes between the Far East and Europe by around 15 to 20% during the second quarter, a shipping group Maersk said on Monday.
Since December, Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have forced Maersk and other shipping companies to divert their ships to the Cape of Good Hope. Longer travel times are driving up freight rates.
“The risk zone has widened and attacks are extending offshore,” Maersk said in a statement to customers on Monday.
“This situation has forced our vessels to extend their journey, which is currently causing additional delays and costs to get your cargo to its destination,” the company added.
Last week, the Danish company, seen as a barometer of global trade, estimated that shipping disruptions caused by the Red Sea attacks were likely to last at least until the end of the year.
These disruptions have resulted in bottlenecks and ship consolidations, i.e. the simultaneous arrival of several ships at port, as well as shortages of equipment and transport capacity.
“We are doing everything we can to improve reliability, including sailing faster and increasing capacity,” Maersk said, adding that it has leased more than 125,000 additional containers.
(Written by Louise Breusch Rasmussen, Alban Kacher, edited by Kate Entringer)
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