Further to our earlier communication, please be advised that the Suez Canal remains closed for transit since 23 March due to the blockage by the container ship MV Ever Given. All major container carriers’ services have been affected by this incident, which has temporarily disabled one of the most important arteries in global trade.
MSC expects this incident to have a very significant impact on the movement of containerized goods, disrupting supply chains beyond the existing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. We thank you for understanding that this incident is beyond MSC’s control and we welcome your close collaboration to try to ease the situation for you in any way possible.
As a frequent user of the canal, MSC will continue to monitor the situation very closely for updates and we will seek to resume passage as soon as the authorities and salvors have cleared the obstacle and given the green light. We currently have no concrete information, or forecast, of when this will be.
Service & schedule changes
In the meantime, we have started to redirect some vessels in order to keep cargo flowing by other routes. Please note that transit via Suez is definitively canceled in the following cases:
Vessels being re-routed via the Cape of Good Hope:
Vessels being turned back as per below comments:
MSC also envisages some missed sailings as a result of this incident and, in some cases, we may therefore need to adapt the volumes of bookings we can accept according to the reduced capacity available on certain trades.
In general, MSC customers with cargo that was due for transit via Suez since 23 March should be prepared for potential schedule changes. We will continue to communicate further as the situation evolves.
Vessels impacted in the Suez area
As at 1800hrs CET, 26 March, the following vessels with MSC customers' cargo onboard are in the local area as we continue to monitor the situation (MSC fleet in bold; list subject to change).
Vessels anchored at the Great Bitter Lake during transit on 23 March:
Vessels southbound waiting at anchor:
Vessels northbound waiting at anchor:
Please contact your local MSC representatives in our global network of more than 500 offices should you have any questions.
MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company