Million of dollars of cargo is still stuck in limbo onboard the MV Ever Given amid an ongoing legal battle almost three months after the giant container ship grounded and blocked the Suez Canal.
The grounding of the 400-meter-long ship Ever Given in the southern section of the Suez Canal on March 23 blocked the waterway for nearly a week, causing a major disruption in global trade flows as it prevented hundreds of ships from passing the world’s major shipping trade route, before it was finally freed six days later.
[smlsubform prepend=”GET THE SAFETY4SEA IN YOUR INBOX!” showname=false emailtxt=”” emailholder=”Enter your email address” showsubmit=true submittxt=”Submit” jsthanks=false thankyou=”Thank you for subscribing to our mailing list”]
To remind, in mid-April, an Egyptian court ordered the seizure of the vessel, along with its 18,300 cargo containers, after the Suez Canal Authority filed an initial $916 million compensation claim against Japanese ship owner Shoei Kisen Kaisha for damages and losses incurred when the ship ran aground in a narrow part of the canal.
Several companies with products on the Ever Given told CNN Business “they have been left in the dark” about the status of their goods as legal proceedings continue. IKEA, Lenovo and smaller firms, such as UK bicycle maker Pearson 1860 and Snuggy UK, are among the companies with products stuck on the Japanese-owned vessel.
We don’t hold out much hope of seeing our stock this year and although it is insured in transit, we have guessed there will be little chance of seeing a settlement for months if not years,
…Will Pearson, director of Pearson 1860, told CNN Business.
The companies may be forced to pay under “general average,” a law requiring parties involved in a voyage to proportionally share costs in case of loss.
