According to the ShippingWatch, a news outlet covering the maritime industry, 50 of Maersk's container ships were delayed because of the canal's blockage
The world's biggest shipping company, Maersk, has filed a lawsuit against rival Evergreen over losses suffered due to its ship Ever Given, which paused vessel traffic in the Suez Canal for several days in 2021.
The Panama-flagged vessel Ever Given, operated by Evergreen Marine Corp., ran aground in March 2021, effectively blocking traffic for almost 6 days.
According to the ShippingWatch, a news outlet covering the maritime industry, 50 of Maersk's container ships were delayed because of the canal's blockage.
In the days following its grounding, a massive salvage operation involving hundreds of people, shore-based excavating equipment, cutter suction dredgers, and at least 10 tugs, was underway to refloat the 40-meter-long vessel.
In an email to The Associated Press, shipping giant Moeller-Maersk said it filed a claim against Evergreen Marine, the vessel's Japanese owner, and its German technical manager, Bernhard Schulte Management, in the Danish Maritime and Commercial High Court in Copenhagen, Denmark.
In 2021, the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) sued Evergreen for $550 million to compensate for lost revenues, and costs that occurred during the salvage operation. At the time, according to the Suez Canal Authority, the blockage led to losses between $12-14 million daily from its revenues, however, despite the blockage, SCA reported $2 billion in revenues for Q1 2021.
Maersk's filing is the latest in a string of legal actions related to the blockage; Total claims related to the grounding could amount to a massive $2 billion, according to French insurer Scor SE, and the cost will largely be borne by the reinsurance sector.
In September 2022, an oil tanker blocked the canal due to a mechanical failure.
