MSC Mediterranean Shipping Co. SA stated that its vessels will continue traveling around the Cape of Good Hope until further notice.
Bloomberg reports that MSC on an email statement commented that the situation in the Suez Canal remains fluid and the security situation is unclear.
In order to guarantee the safety of our seafarers and to ensure consistency and predictability of service for our customers, MSC will continue to transit via the Cape of Good Hope until further notice.
…said the company on its statement.
The Israel-Hamas ceasefire has left the shipping industry in uncertainty about transiting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. To remind, Lars H. Barstad, CEO, Frontline Shipping, upon the ceasefire announcement commented that he is hopeful but citing his post on X from June 2024, highlighted that his points still stand and expecting owners to put their seafarers at risk passing the Red Sea or the Gulf of Eden anytime soon is “naive.”
Moreover, Hapag-Lloyd had already flagged in June 2024 that a ceasefire would not mean an immediate resume of passage through the Suez Canal. A Hapag-Lloyd spokesperson recently told Reuters that the company will closely analyze the latest developments but it’s still too early to speculate about timing.
Both Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have reportedly said they would be closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East.