The Suez Canal remains blocked by enormous container ship, The Ever Given. More than 200 ships are impacted by the canal’s blockage, awaiting the clear passage through the canal. Authorities are now predicting that it may take several weeks to dislodge the ship which was blown around by high winds and a sand storm in the canal. The ship’s captain has apologized for the fiasco but clearly the power of nature was more at fault.
Consumer goods being transported from Asia to Europe and North America will be delayed as well agricultural goods traveling in the other direction. The authorities at the canal site say that as of Friday, March 26, 2021 237 ships are waiting for the canal to clear.
The authorities on site are using numerous methods to try and dislodge the ship. These include excavation, tugs, lightening the load of The Ever Given and dredging. A company called Smit Salvage has been asked to create an effective plan to get the stuck ship moving again. Smit’s has dispatched a team.
Even before this event, global supply chains were under enormous pressure. This blockage is exacerbating that situation and causing markets to be impacted, experts say.