Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
In what appears to be a freak accident, a Panama-flagged container ship called the Ever Given, owned by Evergreen Marine Corp., has run aground inside the Suez Canal, the critical artificially made shipping lane connecting the Red Sea with the Mediterranean.
Known as a critical chokepoint for the global oil trade, the Suez has become blocked in both directions thanks to the peculiar angle of what’s been described as a “megaship”.
thanks to the peculiar angle of what’s been described as a “megaship”.
The ship was traveling from a port in Egypt to Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, one of the world’s most active ports. It was due to arrive March 31.
Ships are already stuck in the water. In addition to weighing almost 200K tonnes, here’s more info on the ship courtesy of Reuters.
The traffic jam has reportedly spread from the canal, back into the Red Sea and the Mediterannean.
At a time when shipping companies are already struggling to recover from the strains of the COVID pandemic, which required them to rejigger global shipping routes in fundamental ways. It’s also presents risks to the inflation outlook, as the lingering containership shortage mentioned above is slowing down the pace of global trade at a time when Americans’ demand for products foreign-made consumer products is surging.
It could take days for a major Dutch salvage company to ride to the rescue.
How soon till one of the big Dutch salvage companies shows up for an ultra-premium re-floating?
Also: forget #iceroadtruckers, marine salvage YouTube is where it's at.https://t.co/C2hzZWrGJQ
— John Scott-Railton (@jsrailton) March 23, 2021
In the meantime, looks like we’re in the midst of another Suez crisis…albeit one that lacks a political dimension.
A Suez crisis. https://t.co/dHHkXzZB8r
— ianVisits (@ianvisits) March 23, 2021
Good PR to change from Suez to Arctic passage to the EU.
Where was Putin ?
MSM will soon show that V.V.Putin was there but below the waterline in a frogman suit, shifting debris with his plastic bucket and spade (saved from a childhood visit to the seaside), keeping the Ever Given grounded. This will be proof positive tha Russia did it.
diving for sure :))
Frolicking in the Taiga with the Tuvan fellow.
I can’t see this being a mechanical failure as this ship is only a few years old.
Perhaps the helmswoman was trained in the US Navy ?
Perhaps we are lacking the full picture here (above the waterline).
Given the US LGBTQWERTYUIOPNAVY’s propensity to inexplicably steer – using some of the world’s most nimble ships – straight into the side of huge freighters, the Evergiven could be sitting on top of a Navy sub.
That would be hilarious, especially of it was an Israeli sub armed with nuclear weapons.
Nasser would be proud …
U.S. Navy will cry and rage :)
Hmm…. Interesting…. conveniently blocking the whole damn canal.
Always question the motive. Especially right at this moment. ” At a time when shipping companies are already struggling to recover from the strains of the COVID pandemic, which required them to rejigger global shipping routes in fundamental ways. It’s also presents risks to the inflation outlook, as the lingering containership shortage mentioned above is slowing down the pace of global trade at a time when Americans’ demand for products foreign-made consumer products is surging. “