Rumour-mill sparks fears of possible Suez Canal closure
Despite Alphaliner’s belief that Egypt is highly unlikely to shut the Suez Canal, rumours have sparked fears in the shipping industry after calculations reveal that such an event would cause an immediate and dramatic shortage of container tonnage, particularly between Europe and the Far East. According to Alphaliner, there are currently 56 containership strings operating via Suez, most of which are weekly services, and 80% of the services operate between Europe and the Far East. In order to maintain those services on a weekly basis, an additional 100 container ships would be required, and they would have to re-route via the Cape of Good Hope, adding an extra seven days and 3,500 nautical miles to the Singapore-to-Rotterdam route. The detour round the Cape would also see the end of slow steaming, as ships would need to increase speed to cover the extra distance. The increase in fuel costs and the cost of deploying extra container ships would be passed onto shippers, and ultimately the consumer. Alphaliner points out that a Far East – Europe route via the Panama Canal is not a viable option; not only would it add to the burden of the already busy Panama Canal, but many of the vessels currently deployed on Suez route are too big to transit the Panama locks. Quelle: eyefortransport Portal: www.logistik-express.com |
