Suez Canal Update: Ever Given was Refloated, Transit Expected to Resume This Evening

Update as of March 30, 2021

The vessel, which blocked the shipping artery for more than a week, has been towed to a lake further along the canal where it will undergo checks.

• As many as 370 vessels were waiting to pass along the canal before the vessel was freed, with an estimated $9.6bn worth of goods being held up each day.

• “We will continue to see the unfolding of congestion issues in Europe as the cargo arrives, blank sailings resulting from the severe delay of many vessels as well as a deterioration of the equipment situation. These ripple effects will take several months to be fully worked through.”

From Hapag

Traffic through the Suez Canal has commenced. The southbound convoy entered the canal this morning with 48 ships that moved from Port Said anchorage to the Great Bitter Lake.  The northbound convoy is planned for direct transit this morning with 25 vessels.

For more information, please read this update from Air Cargo News: Suez containership freed but supply chain delays to continue

Update as of March 29, 2021

The vessel EVER GIVEN was refloated in the early morning of March 29 after the ship responded to the tension and towing maneuvers.  The maneuvers are scheduled to resume again as the water level rises to its max height which will allow the ship’s course to be completely modified.  It will be towed to Great Bitter Lake for inspection. Towage operations for the vessel should commence very soon during high tide. Any damaged area of the canal will be inspected and repaired if necessary.  It’s uncertain how long it will take to assess the damage and if any containers will need to be removed.

According to Hapag, they expect transits for other vessels to start later this evening. The current backlog should be cleared within four days.  Ocean carriers do not know the exact ETA of their affected vessels yet, but will due their best to optimize their rotations in order to minimize potential bottlenecks at ports and terminals

eShipping has already notified customers of any shipments that have been impacted due to the situation. 

For more information, please read this update from NPR: 'She's Free': Giant Container Ship Blocking Suez Canal Underway After Days