Maersk: Red Sea disruptions could extend to H2 of ’24

Maersk, the Danish shipping company, has warned its clients to expect disruptions in the Red Sea to continue into the second half of the year, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

This is due to the decision of major container shipping companies to reroute Suez Canal-bound ships around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope following attacks by Houthi militants in the Red Sea.

Maersk’s head of North America, Charles van der Steene, advised clients to consider alternative routes for entering the North American market and to prepare for potential increases in supply chain costs.

To offset delays caused by longer transit times around Africa, Maersk has increased vessel capacity by about six per cent.