For months, the Houthis have carried out a series of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea in retaliation for Israel’s military actions in Gaza, forcing many ships to redirect their journeys. The True Confidence shows the threat to the oil tankers, cargo carriers and seafarers who are still using this vital waterway for global trade.

FIRST THIS: ". . . countries’ militaries and international shipping companies alike are thinking and planning for more maritime disruptions.

The Baltimore bridge collapse is only the latest — and least — of global shipping’s problems

From drought in the Panama Canal to the Houthis in the Suez to pirates off Somalia, we’re all paying the price

Vox

22 hours ago

Baltimore's Key Bridge collapse is global shipping's smallest problem - Vox

Visit

". . .International shipping traffic is being choked at two separate, vital points — the Panama Canal in the Western hemisphere and the Suez Canal in the Eastern — which combined account for more than half of the container shipping that links Asia and North America.

Vox

22 hours ago

Baltimore's Key Bridge collapse is global shipping's smallest problem - Vox

And as awful as this Baltimore incident was, it was, by all accounts, a rogue accident. The root causes of these other disruptions, though? They’re not quite as easily fixed.

Oh, plus pirates are back.

Global shipping’s current problems, briefly explained

The Baltimore incident encapsulates one thing really well: just how globalized the shipping industry is. The Dali was a Singapore-flagged ship, with an all Indian-nationality crew, operated by the Danish company Maersk and on its way to Sri Lanka. (Thankfully, there were no injuries reported among the crew of the ship.)

This degree of interconnectedness — and how fragile it all is — probably feels familiar by now. Remember the wide swath of consumer goods that were subjected to back orders and shortages in 2021 as the global supply chain fell victim to a series of interconnected problems, including (but definitely not limited to) issues with container ships and ports?

Or, more hilariously, remember the delays (and memes) the ship Ever Given spawned when it got stuck in the Suez Canal?

This year is shaping up to be another difficult one for global shipping.

______________________________________________________

Houthi Ravaged Ship Was Caught Between Combat Drones and Pirates Verity Ratcliffe