Maersk Warning: Red Sea Air Transport Interruption May Last for Several Months

Shipping giant Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc has warned that reopening important Red Sea trade routes may take several months, which could have economic and inflationary impacts on the global economy, businesses, and consumers.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Vincent Clerc stated that the disruption of most container transportation by the Red Sea due to a series of attacks by Yemeni Houthi militants is "extremely severe and dramatic.". He added that there was no winner in this situation because ships were forced to detour South Africa, resulting in longer voyages and increased costs.

"We are not yet sure how long it will take to rebuild the Red Sea security passage, which could be in days, weeks, or months... This could have a significant impact on global economic growth."

Maersk CEO Ke Wensheng said that the diversion of container ships to Cape of Good Hope will increase the Asia Europe round-trip route by about 13000 kilometers, and the cost of each container will increase by several hundred dollars. He added, "Currently, inflation has become a major issue, putting inflationary pressure on our costs, customers, and ultimately European and American consumers." He warned, "There may be significant disruptions in the short term in late January, February, and early March."

Due to the need for longer shipping routes, Maersk's fuel costs will significantly increase by 50%. If the current problem is not addressed, the scheduling of ships will become chaotic, posing a threat to the stability of global logistics and supply chains.