Admiral Osama Rabia, head of the Trade Route Authority, said at a press conference that the number of ships waiting in line for passage through the Suez Canal has reached 321
In the morning of 24 March, the 400 meter long container ship Ever Given, owned by a Japanese company, ran aground at km 151 of the Suez Canal on its way from China to Rotterdam. The canal, which accounts for 12% of world trade, was thus blocked.
“The dredging ships have finished work at the scene of the incident, now 10 of our tugboats are trying to pull it out […] The number of vessels waiting for their turn has reached 321”, – Rabia said.
Experts believe that if the route cannot be unblocked over the coming weekend, the collapse could last for weeks. This threatens huge losses for global trade. Analysts have already called the current situation “the world’s most expensive traffic jam” and estimated that every minute it generates about $6 million in losses.