Ever Given, Ever Stuck: How One Boat Single-Handedly Brought Maritime Traffic to a Screeching Halt

Ever Given, Ever Stuck: How One Boat Single-Handedly Brought Maritime Traffic to a Screeching Halt

There exists an illustrious hall of fame for ships, in which many are honored. The tragic Titanic, the magnificent Mayflower and the Queen Anne’s Revenge are all ships that are memorable in some way or another. Even though it would seem unlikely for a modern ship to gain such fame, the Ever Given has proven everyone wrong. 

The Ever Given is a ship that was wedged between the walls of the Suez Canal for about a week. Many ships travel into and out of the Suez Canal almost every day, as it is a route that connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. However, unlike any other ship, the Ever Given was able to halt global trade. Around 12% of global trade passes through the Suez Canal, and more than $9 billion worth of goods is transported through the canal each day. For every day that the Ever Given continued to be stuck for, an estimated $9.6 billion worth of trade was lost per day. 

Even though the amount of money lost is monumental, there is good news regarding the Ever Given’s status. As of Monday, the Ever Given was freed from its temporary prison in the Suez Canal. However, the consequences of its temporary imprisonment are being felt all over the world.

Of course, the top 1% have probably gone insane, as they have lost millions of dollars within the span of six days. The regular folk are also expected to feel some of the aftermath, albeit not on the same scale that the wealthy feel. For instance, people expecting certain shipments of goods are not going to be able to get those items until much later. Chains like Nike have reported a loss in business thanks to the clogging. Since many people have received their stimulus checks recently (and obviously want to spend it), a lot of companies want to take advantage of the desire. However, because a lot of what they want is made in China, a lot of pressure is placed on manufacturers over there to constantly assemble such goods. But, China has a shortage in containers. The Ever Given was carrying many of these containers, so manufacturers in China have nothing to store their goods in. The result is a holdup in shipment, and of course, lots of money lost for companies.

With the Ever Given’s newly-found freedom, it will now continue on its original route. While it has been delayed (and also delayed other ships), it will ultimately complete the task it was supposed to.