Welcome to the Inchcape Red Sea Situation daily bulletin relating to the situation in the Red Sea and Suez Canal for Tuesday, 23rd January.
On Friday 26th January Inchcape Shipping Services, in partnership with Ambrey Risk Management, will deliver a webinar regarding risks and issues impacting Global Shipping in 2024. Ambrey will provide an update on global risks and threats, and Inchcape will offer considerations when planning voyages. Please register HERE.
Situation Update
Overnight US Centcom reported on X (formerly Twitter) “As part of ongoing international efforts to respond to increased Houthi destabilizing and illegal activities in the region, on Jan. 22 at approximately 11:59 p.m. (Sanaa / Yemen time), U.S. Central Command forces alongside UK Armed Forces, and with the support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, conducted strikes on 8 Houthi targets in Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist-controlled areas of Yemen.”
On January 20th, US Centcom reported on X, “As part of ongoing efforts to protect freedom of navigation and prevent attacks on maritime vessels, on Jan. 20 at approximately 4 a.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Central Command forces conducted airstrikes against a Houthi anti-ship missile that was aimed into the Gulf of Aden and was prepared to launch. U.S. forces determined the missile presented a threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region and subsequently struck and destroyed the missile in self-defense. This action will make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels.”
Today, Maersk published the attached customer advisory: “The situation in and around the Red Sea / Gulf of Aden remains volatile. Our priority remains the safety of our seafarers, vessels, and your cargo. With this in mind, we are making changes to our ME2 service, as outlined below. These changes will have the benefit of offering you greater predictability and reliability for your supply chain in this challenging environment. For the time being, the ME2 service will be diverted via the Cape of Good Hope (COGH). The revised rotation will be Jebel Ali, UAE – Mundra, India – Jawaharlal Nehru, India – Port Tangier, Morocco – Algeciras, Spain – Salalah, Oman – Jebel Ali, UAE. This means the service will turn in the West Mediterranean, and westbound calls to Salalah and Jeddah will be paused until further notice.”
Suez Canal Transits
Over the weekend, we saw a low of 30 transits. The average continues to drop.
Algeciras and Gibraltar
As per the Maersk announcement Algeciras and Gibraltar have become major stopping off points at start and end of Cape of Good Hope voyages. Algeciras is already busy with 47 vessels at berth and 68 in port.
Similarly, Gibraltar is also busy with vessels at 16 of the 17th available berths and 33 vessels in port. 10 vessels are arriving in the next 24 hours.
How can Inchcape Shipping Services help?
As mentioned in previous posts, Inchcape Shipping Services announced investment in Leth Suez Transit Ltd. You can continue to contact issegypt@iss-shipping.com for immediate assistance or speak to one of our transit team specialists.
In addition to Algeciras and Gibraltar, Inchcape Shipping Services is well established in Africa when considering to divert around the Cape of Good Hope. With 16 port offices and a network of carefully selected and vetted partners, our team of experienced agents offer top-notch support and expertise to vessels when they are in port, covering everything from crew welfare and customs formalities to fuel supply and waste management.
We provide:
- 24/7 availability with a local Inchcape representative.
- Direct liaison with the vessel on all aspects of the call when required.
- Critical local expertise and liaison with managing local authorities.
- Assist with crew logistics, including transport to and from the airport, accommodation, and medical assistance.
- Coordination and facilitation of bunker supplies, supervision and sampling.
Please contact us for a prompt PDA on these email addresses:
Algeciras: issalgecirasops@issshipping.com
Gibraltar: issgibraltar@issshipping.com
Mauritius: mruops@issshipping.com
South Africa: dbnops@issshipping.com
Kenya: isskenyaenquiries@iss-shipping.com
Tanzania: youriss.dar@issshipping.com
Nigeria: issnigeria@issshipping.com
Ghana: iss.ghana@iss-shipping.com
Mozambique: Yourissmozambique@issshipping.com
Namibia: wvbops@issshipping.com
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