Many of us probably had the same reaction when we saw the picture: A face-palm. The Ever Given, a massive container ship that is almost as long as the Empire State Building is tall, somehow managed to lodge itself in the Suez Canal, getting completely stu

• Author: Kelly Cooke
• Posted: 2024-04-10

What on Earth Happened?

This is the first time that the canal has ever been closed, for this long, as a result of an obstruction like this. According to published reports, this situation occurred while the Ever Given was traveling through the canal in strong winds. The canal may seem large in pictures, but it's only roughly 1/5 of a mile wide, meaning that any serious navigational problem can result in a ship not even being able to completely close the distance across.
A severe sandstorm hit Egypt the day that the Ever Given became stuck, making navigation more difficult and ultimately blowing the ship off course, resulting in it becoming lodged in the canal. This is not the first time that a sand storm has disrupted commerce in the Suez, but it is unquestionably the most severe.
Efforts to dislodge the ship have focused on removing silt and mud from around it, as well as underneath it. Pictures have also shown the use of a back how to try and clear dirt and mud from the massive ship, and tug boats have tried to push the container ship as well. However, experts fear that the ship is too heavy to move, with at least one referring to it as a "beached whale," and noting that it may be too large to move.

The Importance of the Suez Canal

Simply put, there is a reason wars have been fought over this important location: It is of huge strategic importance. The canal itself connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. It allows ships easy passage directly through the Middle East, essentially cutting through Egypt and allowing shipping to skip travel around Africa, saving months worth of travel time.
The canal, controlled by the Suez Canal Authority, is essentially run by Egypt. Egypt has been leading the charge in efforts to dislodge the Ever Given. The Canal was expanded in 2015 in order to accommodate larger ships, like the Ever Given, although the Ever Given became stuck in a portion that was south of the expansion.
As many published reports have noted, 10% of the world's commerce ultimately flows through the Suez canal. Oil, in particular, takes advantage of the canal. This is as a result of so much oil originating from the Middle East.

The Ever Given's Impact

With the ship completely stuck, travel through the canal is now completely impossible. As of Thursday, March 25, 150 ships - and climbing - were rendered unable to use the canal. As you would expect, every day that passes creates additional problems and delays, ultimately resulting in more and more disrupted commerce.
Efforts to quickly dislodge the ship have obviously failed, and it is possible that it will be trapped for many more days - if not weeks. An additional 300 ships are expected to reach the canal and attempt passageway during that time. Some of these ships are small, while others are massive container ships the size of the Ever Given. If this delay continues, there will be an impact felt by worldwide commerce, and experts are saying that the ripples caused by the blockage could be felt for many months. It could also have an impact on oil shipments, the price of which was already rising.
According to one estimate, courtesy of Lloyd's List in London, over $9 billion in goods have been impacted. That number, of course, will only rise every day.
Hopefully, the ship will be dislodged soon. However, if it is not, the impact on commerce will continue to grow. More to the point, the impact will not be simply felt over a short period of time and could extend many months, ultimately affecting countless aspects of international commerce.