Inchcape Shipping Services has announced that the container ship blocking the Suez Canal has been refloated as of early this morning, Monday, March 29. The good news has also been confirmed by Osama Rabie, head of the Suez Canal Authority, according to his statement with state TV, published by CNN.
It is expected that the canal will be open for passage today and the wait to pass through the canal will be over for the 369 ships stuck in a tailback on either side of the blockage. Additional time, however, will be needed for normal transit to return to this main maritime route between Asia and Europe.
Furthermore, it will take a while for supply chains to return to normal as waiting vessels will likely face congestion when arriving at their destination ports.
Noatum Logistics will continue working with our clients to offer alternative solutions to minimize the impact of this situation on their supply chains.