The methanol-fueled container ship Laura Maersk docks in port after an official naming ceremony in Copenhagen, Denmark, September 14, 2023.
Tom Little | Reuters
The Danish company Maersk said on Sunday that it is preparing to resume shipping operations in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, noting the deployment of a US-led military operation aimed at ensuring the safety of trade in the region.
The shipping giant temporarily stopped sending ships through the Bab al-Mandab Strait earlier in December due to attacks on its ships. This made the Suez Canal, which is essential for global trade, unusable for most routes.
The United States said on Tuesday it would launch a multinational operation to protect trade in the Red Sea from Iranian-backed Yemeni militants who have been launching drones and missiles at international ships since last month in what they say is a response to Israel's war in Yemen. Gaza.
“As of Sunday, December 24, 2023, we have received confirmation that the previously announced multinational security initiative, Operation Prosperity Guard (OPG), has been prepared and deployed to allow maritime trade to pass through the Red Sea/Gulf of Aden and the Gulf of Aden.” “Returning once again to using the Suez Canal as a gateway between Asia and Europe,” Masersk said in a statement on Sunday.
“With the activation of the OPG initiative, we are preparing to allow ships to resume transit through the Red Sea to the east and west.”
Maersk said it would announce more details in the coming days. But it said it may again resort to diverting ship traffic depending on how safety conditions develop.
Maersk said on Tuesday it would reroute ships around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope. It said it would impose additional container fees for shipments from Asia to cover the additional costs associated with the longer journey.
Several other companies have stopped crossing the Red Sea due to safety concerns in recent weeks, as has oil major BP.
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