AMMAN — Rerouting Jordan-bound ships laden with livestock and other cargo
stuck in the Suez Canal would take around 15 days and up to hundreds of
thousands in additional costs, an official source said on Sunday.
اضافة اعلان
“If the ships
choose to take a different maritime route, that would be through Cape of Good
Hope, which should take around 15 days and thousands if not hundreds of
thousands in costs, this may push merchants to either return the stock to its
original country or sell the merchandise stranded in the sea to cut their
losses,” Director of Jordan Maritime Commission Mohammad Salman told Jordan
News.
Furthermore, the
alternative route poses piracy threats for the ships, as pirates regularly
target ships carrying food, and livestock through Cape of Good Hope, Salman
noted.
Seven ships
carrying livestock have been delayed by a single ship that ran aground and is
currently blocking the southern entrance to the Suez Canal.
The Panama-registered
but Japanese-owned ship, called Ever Given, is one of the largest container
ships in the world. Last week, the ship ran aground while traveling from
Malaysia to the Netherlands, according to CNN.
It is currently
completely blocking the canal, making it impossible for any other vessels to
pass and holding up an estimated $9.6 billion of goods a day, according to the
Financial Times. The Suez Canal, which passes through Egypt, is a key connector
of global supply chains; on average, over 50 ships pass through the canal a
day, Anadulo Agency reported.
In remarks to
local media, Minister of Agriculture Ibrahim Shehadeh said on Saturday the
ships are carrying 85,000 cattle, but noted that food and water are available
for them. He also noted that the ministry is considering redirecting the ships
along other routes, including Syria.
“We import
grains, cars and spare parts, and livestock which arrive through the Suez
Canal. Eleven ships bound to Aqaba are now late due to this issue. But we are
raising our readiness level to accommodate the ships as they arrive together
after this situation is resolved,” Salman told Jordan News.
Jordan imports
around 1 million sheep and 80,000 cattle yearly, according to Shadi Al-Othman,
Head of the Slaughterhouse Department in Greater Amman Municipality.
Al-Othman noted
that extended travel can have an impact on the health of the animals. Usually,
their trip only lasts seven to ten days.
Livestock arrive
at the port in Aqaba on livestock carrier ships from Australia, Brazil,
Ukraine, and Romania. According to the Aqaba Company for Ports Operation and
management, 5,264 tons of cattle arrived at Aqaba in February of 2021 alone.
Demand for meat
products in the Kingdom tends to rise in the weeks before Ramadan, but said Daif
Allah Abu Aqula, the head of the Clearance and Shipping Syndicate, told Jordan
News “Jordan will not be much affected by the Suez issue. We have enough
strategic reserve of food and basic commodities. Most of the items coming
through Suez from Europe are not essential.”
However, “if the
situation persists it will disrupt the market and cause price spikes,” Abu
Aqula added.
Efforts to free
the Ever Given have so far been unsuccessful. The ship, which is as long as the
Empire State Building is tall, ran aground after strong winds and a sandstorm.
Dredgers have been working to loosen sand and mud from around the 224,000-ton
vessel’s bow, and tugboats have been attempting to free the ship in vain. The
incident will likely have consequences throughout the region; Syria has been
forced to ration fuel, according to CNN.
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