Shipping safety alarm bells ringing: Frequent fires and attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea
Date：2024-08-30 14:58:00 View：
On the evening of August 22, the Yemeni Houthi armed forces issued a statement through their spokesman Yahya Sarea, announcing that they had attacked two passing ships that violated their navigation ban, including the Greek tanker "SOUNION" sailing in the Red Sea. After the attack, the "SOUNION" tanker fell into a state of continuous burning, and all crew members have been safely evacuated.
The EU quickly responded that the "SOUNION" tanker was flying the Greek flag and carrying about 150,000 tons of crude oil, equivalent to about 1 million barrels, and its condition after the attack may cause serious environmental pollution problems.
Immediately afterwards, the US Department of Defense issued a warning on Tuesday, pointing out that the damaged "SOUNION" could no longer move autonomously in the Red Sea, the fire was still ongoing, and there was a potential risk of oil leakage, which not only constituted a major obstacle to maritime traffic, but also posed a serious threat to the environment.
If the tanker disintegrates, the scale of its oil spill may rank among the worst tanker oil spills in history. According to witnesses, only half of the tanker can be seen through the telescope, the tail has sunk into the water, and the deck is filled with smoke, which is a shocking scene.
However, the situation took a turn for the better on the evening of the 28th. Mohammed Abdul Salam, spokesman for the Yemeni Houthi armed forces, announced that after communicating with international organizations including relevant European institutions, relevant parties have been allowed to tow the damaged "Sounion" to avoid possible environmental disasters.
At the same time, he reiterated his support for Palestine and warned that he would continue to crack down on ships that violated its navigation ban.
Since November last year, the Houthi armed forces have frequently used drones and missiles to attack merchant ships in the Red Sea and surrounding areas, emphasizing that their actions are closely related to Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip in Palestine.
Although many ships choose to bypass the Cape of Good Hope to avoid dangerous areas, many merchant ships continue to risk passage because they rely on the Suez Canal route. The US think tank FDD pointed out that the continued actions of the Houthis pose a major security challenge to commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
The tension in the shipping market is also directly reflected in freight rates.
According to CCTV Finance, the global container freight index continues to rise, and the freight rate for a 40-foot container is close to US$5,319, while the freight from Shanghai to Los Angeles and New York is as high as US$6,401 and US$8,811 respectively.
In addition, with the upcoming expiration of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) contract (September 30), the US East Coast and Gulf of Mexico ports face the risk of strikes, further exacerbating market expectations for rising shipping prices.
British shipping consultancy Drewry predicts that trans-Pacific shipping prices may rise significantly in the coming weeks.