This week, a 220,000-metric ton, 1,312-foot container vessel got stuck diagonally in the Suez Canal which accounts for some 12% of the world trade. This accident could have a big effect on shipping logistics around the world.
According to 9to5Mac, Apple has increased its use of container ships due to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The backstory here is that a severe dust storm and poor visibility caused the container vessel, called the Ever Given to become stuck sideways in the Suez Canal. The Ever Given in particular holds over 20,000 shipping containers, this canal generally allows around 50 cargo ships to pass daily.
Thus far, all attempts to get the Ever Given moving again have failed, so it’s still sitting there and blocking access for other containers. Shipping logistics experts cited by NBC News now fear that this logjam will have a ripple effect on industries around the world.
Lars Jensen, an independent container shipping expert cited by NBC News, fears that “basically anything you see in the stores” will be affected by this delay in cargo shipping. This ranges from “food, furniture, clothes, shoes, exercise equipment, electronics, car parts, and carpets.”
As it’s firmly grounded on both banks, all efforts to shift it so far have proved unsuccessful, says Sal Mercogliano, an expert in maritime history at Campbell University in the US.
The company which manages the running of the vessel, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) said an attempt to refloat the ship on Friday had failed but that efforts would continue.
The company says two further tugs are due to arrive on Sunday to assist in the operation.
MacDailyNews Take: The excavator looks puny, which gives some sense of the scale of the issue. In fact, you can see it from space (with a high res camera)!
🔎 Suez canal blockage seen from space 🛰
Airbus-built Pléiades high-res. satellite image 📷taken this morning, showing a container ship stuck in the canal. pic.twitter.com/YOuz1NEXk8— Airbus Space (@AirbusSpace) March 25, 2021