4 ms·

Christmas deliveries at risk as shipping giant suspends Red Sea journeys

19 points by exar0815 3y ago

Qem 3y ago
[flagged]
hef19898 3y ago
Well, whatever goods haven't passed the Suez canal by now won't be anywhere before Christmas anyway...
- personomas 3y ago
  unless you live closer to the Suez canal...
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
- Ekaros 3y ago
  Was thinking the same, even from end of Suez there is quite a bit of logistics left.
baybal2 3y ago
[dead]
myself248 3y ago
The front page of GCaptain is all over this. Attacks in the Red Sea, a suspected hijacking (breaking news, still being confirmed) in the Gulf of Aden, and a hijacking/boarding further into the Indian ocean just beyond. It's looking like a pretty hazardous route right now, and it says something that the shipping companies are looking to avoid it. Longer routes cost more in fuel, missed delivery timelines, and fewer trips per ship per year, all of which hits the bottom line pretty hard. For that to be worth it, they must assess the risk pretty highly.
- sgift 3y ago
  Thanks for mentioning GCaptain. Not my industry, so never heard of it, but that seems like an interesting page. Found this article which highlights one of the big problems in all this that no one talks about: https://gcaptain.com/eu-shipping-and-us-naval-leaders-are-estranged-despite-nato-budget-boost/ https://gcaptain.com/eu-shipping-and-us-naval-leaders-are-es... > In this context, it’s crucial to understand that the US Navy’s obligations primarily extend to protecting US-flagged cargo ships. This fleet, albeit inclusive of vessels owned by European entities such as Maersk and Stena, constitutes less than 100 ships. This number is minuscule compared to the global merchant fleet, which comprises approximately 50,000 ships the US Navy is not legally obligated to protect. While European shipowners have the option to register ships (even foreign-built ones) under the American flag to ensure US Naval protection, all continue to favor the tax savings and legal benefits offered by flags of convenience such as Panama, Liberia, and the Marshall Islands. However, it’s important to note that these jurisdictions lack naval forces capable of safeguarding their registered ships, presenting a significant security gap in maritime operations. Good old capitalism doing an "Hey! Countries! Help us!" "How about paying taxes?" "No taxes. Just help." (The article has other interesting aspects, worth a read for background on all this imho)
gottorf 3y ago
It sounds like the USN and Royal Navy have been busy shooting down the drones that the Houthi militants have been using to target commercial shipping[0]. A major part of why the US dollar is the world's reserve currency. [0]: https://apnews.com/article/royal-navy-shot-down-drone-red-sea-38940c6d0f653f7a6a53920c47b19097 https://apnews.com/article/royal-navy-shot-down-drone-red-se...
- j4yav 3y ago
  For those unfamiliar with the Houthis or why they might be doing this: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slogan_of_the_Houthi_movement https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slogan_of_the_Houthi_movemen...
PUSH_AX 3y ago
I’m no shipping expert, but if something is still on a boat today, even under optimal circumstances is it plausible the goods would be in the hands of consumers before Christmas?

19 points by exar0815 3y ago

Qem 3y ago

[flagged]

hef19898 3y ago

Well, whatever goods haven't passed the Suez canal by now won't be anywhere before Christmas anyway...

personomas 3y ago
unless you live closer to the Suez canal...
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
Ekaros 3y ago
Was thinking the same, even from end of Suez there is quite a bit of logistics left.

baybal2 3y ago

[dead]

myself248 3y ago

The front page of GCaptain is all over this. Attacks in the Red Sea, a suspected hijacking (breaking news, still being confirmed) in the Gulf of Aden, and a hijacking/boarding further into the Indian ocean just beyond. It's looking like a pretty hazardous route right now, and it says something that the shipping companies are looking to avoid it. Longer routes cost more in fuel, missed delivery timelines, and fewer trips per ship per year, all of which hits the bottom line pretty hard. For that to be worth it, they must assess the risk pretty highly.

sgift 3y ago
Thanks for mentioning GCaptain. Not my industry, so never heard of it, but that seems like an interesting page. Found this article which highlights one of the big problems in all this that no one talks about: https://gcaptain.com/eu-shipping-and-us-naval-leaders-are-estranged-despite-nato-budget-boost/ https://gcaptain.com/eu-shipping-and-us-naval-leaders-are-es... > In this context, it’s crucial to understand that the US Navy’s obligations primarily extend to protecting US-flagged cargo ships. This fleet, albeit inclusive of vessels owned by European entities such as Maersk and Stena, constitutes less than 100 ships. This number is minuscule compared to the global merchant fleet, which comprises approximately 50,000 ships the US Navy is not legally obligated to protect. While European shipowners have the option to register ships (even foreign-built ones) under the American flag to ensure US Naval protection, all continue to favor the tax savings and legal benefits offered by flags of convenience such as Panama, Liberia, and the Marshall Islands. However, it’s important to note that these jurisdictions lack naval forces capable of safeguarding their registered ships, presenting a significant security gap in maritime operations. Good old capitalism doing an "Hey! Countries! Help us!" "How about paying taxes?" "No taxes. Just help." (The article has other interesting aspects, worth a read for background on all this imho)

gottorf 3y ago

It sounds like the USN and Royal Navy have been busy shooting down the drones that the Houthi militants have been using to target commercial shipping[0]. A major part of why the US dollar is the world's reserve currency. [0]: https://apnews.com/article/royal-navy-shot-down-drone-red-sea-38940c6d0f653f7a6a53920c47b19097 https://apnews.com/article/royal-navy-shot-down-drone-red-se...

j4yav 3y ago
For those unfamiliar with the Houthis or why they might be doing this: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slogan_of_the_Houthi_movement https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slogan_of_the_Houthi_movemen...

PUSH_AX 3y ago

I’m no shipping expert, but if something is still on a boat today, even under optimal circumstances is it plausible the goods would be in the hands of consumers before Christmas?