South Korea's Largest Container Company HMM Decides to Bypass via Cape of Good Hope Instead of Suez

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Eun-byeol] As the Egypt Suez Canal accident shows signs of prolonged disruption, HMM, the largest domestic ocean container shipping company, has decided to reroute four vessels via the Cape of Good Hope route in South Africa.

According to shipping industry media Shipping Watch on the 28th, HMM has decided to reroute the 24,000 TEU-class 'HMM Stockholm' and 'HMM Rotterdam', 'HMM Dublin', and the 5,000 TEU-class irregular vessel 'HMM Prestige' via the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. These vessels were scheduled to pass through the Suez Canal this week.

The Rotterdam, Dublin, and Prestige are en route from Europe to Asia, while the Stockholm is heading from Asia to Europe.

However, the 24,000 TEU-class 'HMM Gdansk', which was the first to be blocked from entering the Suez Canal, has been waiting offshore for four days. This rerouting decision was made after consultations with the shipping alliance 'THE Alliance', of which HMM is a member. A notice about the rerouting of HMM vessels has also been posted on the website of German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd, another member of 'THE Alliance'.

Industry insiders said that rerouting via the Cape of Good Hope due to the blockage of the Suez Canal is the first time since the Suez Canal was closed for two years following the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.