8 February 2024 (Lloyd's List) - THE Houthis’ attempts to blockade the Bab el Mandeb Strait have had a visible effect on the dynamics of Israel’s containerised maritime trade, but rerouted transport lines have eased supply pressures and cargoes continue almost unabated.
Meanwhile, despite media reports it had halted services to Israel, the Chinese conglomerate Cosco Shipping was found to have continued sending boxships from its Mediterranean trade routes to Israeli ports.
Lloyd’s List Intelligence vessel tracking data shows that the aggregate carrying capacity of ships calling at Israeli ports plunged after the escalation of attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea in mid-December.
Arrivals to Israel, as measured by aggregate total teu capacity, dropped 32% between December 18 and February 4, compared with the previous seven weeks.
Actual calling volumes are down 10%, indicating a higher number of smaller vessels are running services to Israel.
Large containerships, those over 10,000 teu capacity, that had been sailing from Asia via the Suez Canal up to Israel before other destinations in the eastern Mediterranean withdrew from the route as major carriers exited the Red Sea due to Houthi security threats.
The Yemeni militia had vowed to attack any commercial vessel seeking to transit the vital Asia-Europe shipping lane to Israel in retaliation for military action in Gaza by Jerusalem. It subsequently expanded targets to US/UK-owned vessels after the pair carried out air strikes against the Iran-backed rebels.
But such connections have often proven elusive, heightening concerns all merchant vessels could be fair game.
A few ships still ply the dangerous waters, mitigating risks by switching off Automatic Identification System trackers, securing naval escorts or openly disavowing links to Israel.
Lloyd’s List Intelligence data shows 12 large boxship arrivals to Israel via the Red Sea between 30 October and 17 December. Another three arrived after having called at Türkiye.
Just two containerships over 10,000 teu have called at Israel in the past seven weeks, Leverkusen Express (IMO: 9613006) and Paris Express (IMO: 9447902), travelling from Singapore to Egypt, via the Cape of Good Hope, before reaching Israel.
Otherwise, almost all traceable Israeli port calls since December 13 have come from Mediterranean feeder networks.
There was a slight drop in calling volumes in mid-December around the time of heightened uncertainty in the Red Sea and increased rerouting, but numbers have recovered in recent weeks.
This implies extra cargo may be getting first shipped on ultra-large containerships sailing around the Cape of Good Hope to major European ports, before transiting via big feeders to Israel.
There are still some vessels travelling direct from Asia to Israel, seven since the start of January, but all these have rerouted to avoid the Red Sea.
Unsurprisingly, Israeli carrier Zim was the largest boxship operator servicing Israel since January, followed by Mediterranean Shipping Co and Maersk, according to data compiled by Lloyd’s List.
A few Turkish operators — such as Admiral Container Lines, Arkas Line and Medkon Line — have also been active players in this market.
Although Chinese giant Cosco Shipping was reported to have pulled out of all services to Israel, Lloyd’s List Intelligence ship tracking data shows several vessels operated by its European unit Diamond Line continuing to call at Israeli ports in recent weeks.
The 4,250 teu Seaspan New Delhi (IMO: 9301770), part of the jointly operated North Europe-East Mediterranean Express (NEX) service with Yang Ming, called Haifa on January 3.
Another three ships — AS Fatima (IMO: 9437191), Contship Sea (IMO: 9306213) and Frederik (IMO: 9328637) — comprising the Chinese carrier’s self-operated LGX1 loop from Greece’s Piraeus, Cosco’s base port in Europe, to Egypt's Damietta also visited Israel’s Ashdod port earlier this year.
Cosco Shipping has been approached for comment.
