2021 Suez Canal obstruction

The Suez Canal is an artificial waterway in Egypt connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean via the Red Sea. The canal is an important pathway for transportation for gobal trade and commerce. On 23 March 2021, while the world was dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ever Given, one of the world’s largest container ships with a capacity of over 18,300 cargo containers, was driven off course while transiting the Suez Canal by high winds amid low visibility. The 400m wide ship ran aground, diagonally blocking the southern end of the canal and obstructing the passage of 300 ships that had queued up at both ends of the canal. Shipping rates nearly doubled and global supply chains, already strained by the COVID-19 pandemic, were disrupted. The alternate route for ships, which takes them around the Cape of Good Hope, takes around 15 days of extra travel time. Losses to the shipping industry were estimated to be upwards of US$9.6 billion. The Ever Given was finally refloated with the help of tugboats and dredgers on March 29, after being stuck for 6 days.

Source: Singh, P. (2022, May 27). The Suez Canal Crisis of 2021: A case study. BOXXPORT BLOG. Retrieved March 17, 2023.