This weeks developments in the Middle East appear to have left little hope of a return to shipping through the Red Sea and Suez Canal route in the near future.

Following what appears to be an end to the Gaza ceasefire, the US launched air strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen at the weekend, leading to a resumption of drone and missile attacks in the Red Sea.

Houthi Rebels subsequently targeted a group of US warships in the Red Sea this week and while these attacks seem to have been unsuccessful, they have vowed to return to targeting vessels in the region.

Up until this week, January’s ceasefire had built hopes that Asia-European ocean freight services may be able to return to the shorter route by later this year. However, the latest developments suggest that could be unlikely unless a permanent peace agreement transpires very soon.

Houthi attacks on commercial shipping led to the majority of carriers routing vessels around the Cape of Good Hope from January 2024, adding 7-10 days to transit times. This was followed by months of capacity issues as steamship lines scrambled to add more vessels to cope with the longer routes.

It would likely take a few months for carriers to realign schedules and capacity back to the shorter route, which makes a return to normality a distant dream as things stand.

Your Westbound team will continue to monitor developments, in the meantime please do not hesitate to contact us for further information.

If you have any questions regarding the above, then Westbound are here to help. So, please do not hesitate to contact us.