A.P. Moller-Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd announce continued plans to not ship through the Red Sea region

Amid the ongoing violence in the Red Sea region and continued attacks on global shipping, global ocean container line service providers A.P. Moller-Maersk and Hapag Lloyd respectively said that they each will continue to pause activity, for cargo moving through the affected area.

In mid-December, Maersk said it is pausing all shipping through the Red Sea due to ongoing violence in the region and continued attacks on global shipping. And in a statement to Reuters on December 15, the company said it was halting shipping in the area.

Soon after, Hapag-Lloyd said it was also placing a pause on shipping in the region.

As previously reported, the sudden change serves to further disrupt international shipping in a region that has been dealing with continued attacks by Houthi rebels. A day earlier, the Maersk vessel, Gibraltar, was targeted by a drone, according to a Houthi statement. Maersk denied the ship was hit by a missile, but it was the latest attack in the region.

In a statement issued on January 2, Maersk said the following: “Following the 30 December incident involving our vessel, Maersk Hangzhou, we have made the decision to pause all transits through the Red Sea / Gulf of Aden until further notice. We appreciate your patience as we navigate this challenging situation.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing and we will continue to pause all cargo movement through the area while we further assess the constantly evolving situation. In cases where it makes most sense for our customers, vessels will be rerouted and continue their journey around the Cape of Good Hope. You can find the latest diversion and contingency plans on Maersk.com.

This decision has been taken to assure the safety of our seafarers and your cargo on our vessels, which is our utmost priority. We remain committed to minimising the impact on your supply chain and will continue to keep you updated on the situation.”

And Hapag Lloyd said that, as per clause 18 of its bill of lading “Matters affecting Performance,” it has had to take the decision to avoid the Suez Canal and the Red Sea with immediate effect, and instead route its ships around the Cape of Good Hope.

On December 19, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin heralded the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian, a multinational security initiative comprised of United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain, with a focus on jointly addressing security challenges in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, with the goal of ensuring freedom of navigation for all countries and bolstering regional security and prosperity.

“The recent escalation in reckless Houthi attacks originating from Yemen threatens the free flow of commerce, endangers innocent mariners, and violates international law,” said Austin in a statement. “The Red Sea is a critical waterway that has been essential to freedom of navigation and a major commercial corridor that facilitates international trade. Countries that seek to uphold the foundational principle of freedom of navigation must come together to tackle the challenge posed by this non-state actor launching ballistic missiles and uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) at merchant vessels from many nations lawfully transiting international waters.”