Iran-backed Houthi rebels have stepped up their attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea over the last days, targeting them with missiles or drones.
The Port of Piraeus, “which is the largest container port in the Mediterranean, has received the biggest blow.”
Piraeus is also the first major port for cargo ships arriving in Europe, having first crossed the Suez Canal. From Piraeus, the containers are then transported to Europe.
The crisis in the Red Sea, however, has changed the situation. “Ships carrying containers from the Far East arrive weeks late or do not come to Piraeus at all, because they follow the route around the Cape of Good Hope and unload their cargoes in North Sea ports.”
18 Shipping Companies are avoiding the specific route
Before the crisis “30% of international container traffic passed through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. According to data from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), 18 shipping companies are now avoiding this route – including Hapag-Lloyd, the largest German shipping company. France’s CMA CGM, China’s Cosco Container Lines, Taiwan’s Evergreen Line and Hong Kong’s OOCL have avoided Piraeus as a stopover on most of their weekly Asia-to-Europe routes, opting for the route as well around the Cape of Good Hope towards Northern Europe.”
Cargo ships from other companies approach Piraeus “as a last port of call, before returning again around Africa back to the Far East. In Greece and other Mediterranean countries there are already delays in deliveries of clothes, shoes, household and electronic appliances as well as cars from Asia.”
