Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd to Resume Some Red Sea Transits With Naval Escorts

Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd to Restart Red Sea Transits with Naval Support

Resumption of Red Sea Shipping Routes

COPENHAGEN, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Shipping groups Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk will resume some transit routes through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal this month under their shared services network, Maersk said on Tuesday.

Background on Shipping Disruptions

Shipping companies are weighing a return to the critical Asia-Europe trade corridor after vessels were rerouted around Africa in late 2023 following attacks in the Red Sea, which Yemen's Houthis said were to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Security Measures for Transit

Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd's joint ME11 service, a route connecting India and the Middle East with the Mediterranean, will resume routing through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal from mid-February with ships travelling under naval escort, Maersk said in a statement.

Future Plans for Other Services

A Maersk spokesperson declined to comment on what kind of assistance it would be or who would provide it.

TESTING TRANSITS SINCE DECEMBER

The ceasefire in Gaza, in place since last October, has renewed hope of normalizing Red Sea traffic although fighting has not stopped entirely, and both sides in the conflict have accused each other of violating the deal's terms.

"The highest possible security precautions will be undertaken, as the safety of the crew, the vessels, and the customers' cargo remains the highest priority of both carriers," Maersk said.

Plans to reroute two other services, the AE12 and AE15, through the same area will be considered later, Maersk added.

Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk formed the Gemini network last year in a bid to cut their shipping costs and improve schedule reliability.

In December Maersk's Sebarok vessel navigated the route for the first time in nearly two years.

The Suez Canal is the fastest route linking Europe and Asia and until the Houthi attacks had accounted for about 10% of global seaborne trade, according to Clarksons Research.

(Reporting by Stine Jacobsen, editing by Terje Solsvik, Louise Rasmussen and Susan Fenton)