wo global shipping firms, Denmark’s AP Moller-Maersk and Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd, have extended their decision to not allow their vessels pass through the Red Sea and Suez Canal, citing security risks, according to company statements.
Maersk initially halted all transits through the waterway for 48 hours on Sunday, a day after its Singapore-flagged containership Maersk Hangzhou was struck by a Houthi missile fired from Yemen. However, on Tuesday, the company announced that it will extend the pause to shipping in the area “until further notice” as it reviews security risks of sailing the waterway.
“An investigation into the incident is ongoing, and we will continue to pause all cargo movement through the area while we further assess the constantly evolving situation,” Maersk said in its statement. The company had already halted shipping in the Red Sea in mid-December but resumed travel last week after the US and its allies launched Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG) in the region, aimed at ensuring safe passage.
