Maersk once again pauses Red Sea shipments amid safety concerns

According to a statement from the company dated January 2, the Danish shipping giant Maersk will continue to avoid shipping through the Red Sea amid attacks by rebel groups over the weekend. Late last week, the company had announced that it was resuming shipments through the Red Sea, citing the establishment of the US-led multinational force. However, following the latest attack on December 30, Maersk decided to halt its shipments through the region for at least 48 hours.

Maersk has announced that it will continue to suspend all its shipments through the Red Sea until further notice. The company said, “An investigation into the incident is ongoing and we will continue to pause all cargo movement through the area while we further assess the constantly evolving situation.” The company added that it will be rerouting its shipments around the Cape of Good Hope, depending on the response of its clients.

German shipping firm Hapag-Lloyd will continue avoiding Red Sea as well, according to a spokesperson for the company. The company was already avoiding the Red Sea by rerouting its shipments through the Cape of Good Hope. According to the latest statement, Hapag-Lloyd will continue rerouting its shipments until at least January 9, when the company will decide on its next move.

In the meantime, French CMA-CGM plans to increase container freights from Asia to the Mediterranean region by 100% as of January 15 compared to January 1, according to a statement on the company’s website.