Maersk, the Danish shipping group, has reported escalating disruption to container traffic in the Red Sea due to increased drone and missile attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on ships farther offshore.
The company estimated that the industry has lost between 15% and 20% of its capacity on routes from the Far East to the Mediterranean and northern Europe. To counter this disruption, Maersk has increased container capacity and adopted faster sailing speeds around southern Africa. However, these measures have resulted in a 40% increase in fuel usage.
Maersk announced on Thursday that it anticipates being unable to utilize the Red Sea route until the end of the year due to ongoing Houthi attacks.
