Despite the Houthi movement in Yemen announcing plans to halt attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, container line AP Moller-Maersk will continue to divert its vessels away from the region and the Suez Canal.
The Houthis have launched regular attacks on ships passing through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden over the past year in response to the war in Gaza. This has prompted most leading shipping companies to avoid the region, leading to increased bunker consumption and freight rates as ships are forced to take longer voyages around Africa. Since the ceasefire in Gaza, the Houthi movement has announced it will restrict its attacks to Israeli-flagged or wholly Israeli-owned ships, and stop attacks altogether once all stages of the ceasefire agreement have been passed.
"The ceasefire agreement brings much-needed humanitarian relief and hope for peace to be restored, and the announcement from the Houthi organisation on their plans to cease attacks in the area with peace talks ongoing, is a very welcome step in the right direction towards stability and eventual normality for the global shipping industry," Maersk said in a note to customers.
However, Maersk emphasized that the situation remains complex. "The process to bring the current conflict between Israel and Hamas to an end is dependent on a multi-phased roadmap continuing to be met, and as such the predictability of the situation remains a complex challenge," the company stated.
"Furthermore, due to the continued tensions in the region, the security risk of commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea and Bab-el-Mandeb strait remains high."
With the safety of its crew and cargo as top priorities, Maersk will continue to sail around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope until safe passage through the area is ensured for the longer term.
"We have taken this decision to optimize stability and certainty across your supply chain," Maersk explained. "Returning to the area without fully ensuring safe passage could result in our networks needing to be adjusted again, which would prove complicated both operationally and indeed for supply chain management." This decision by Maersk underscores the continued security concerns and the need for a stable and predictable environment for shipping operations in the region.