Since Ever Given Grounding Suez Canal Transits Fall to Lowest

Transits of commercial vessels through the Suez Canal have dropped to their lowest levels since the Ever Given got stuck and blocked the waterway nearly 3 years ago, showcasing the extent that the Houthi attacks have had on global trade, forcing vessels to take longer, costlier routes. 

The 7-day moving average of the daily bulk cargo ships, tankers, and container carriers fell to 49 as of Sunday, according to the International Monetary Fund and Oxford University’s data platform. That number is down from a daily peak of 83 transits in late June of 2023, and lower than the 7-day average a year earlier of 70 total transits. 

This is also the lowest traffic flow through the Suez Canal since early April in 2021, after a huge container ship got wedged between the canal’s banks for almost 1 week in late March, 2021. This disrupted supply chains for months, as idling fleets clambered to get back on schedule. 

Data also demonstrates a corresponding rise in vessels voyaging the Cape of Good Hope, off the southern tip of Africa.

For the Ever Given, ship-tracking data compiled by industry sources show that its latest position was in the Indian Ocean but heading eastwards, toward Sri Lanka, after having to take the southern route from northern Europe. The journey of the ship began immediately after the widespread diversions that started in December.