The Ever Given Blocks the Suez Canal for Six Days

On the morning of 23 March 2021, the container ship Ever Given ran aground while traversing the southern stretch of the Suez Canal. En route from Malaysia to the Port of Rotterdam, the 400-metre vessel encountered strong winds exceeding 40 knots and poor visibility caused by a sandstorm. Steered off course, the hull swung diagonally across the single-lane passage near Manshiyet Rugola, wedging its bow and stern firmly into opposite banks. Two Egyptian canal pilots were aboard to advise the ship's master and its Indian crew when the grounding occurred.

The obstruction halted all shipping through one of the world's primary commercial arteries, which carries roughly twelve percent of global trade. Situated south of the bifurcated bypass section, the grounded vessel left no alternate channel for passing traffic. Within days, hundreds of vessels queued at either end of the canal, including crude oil tankers, bulk carriers, and container ships. Maritime analysts estimated that the disruption delayed approximately nine billion dollars worth of commercial freight each day, placing severe pressure on manufacturing sectors and supply lines already strained by the COVID-19 pandemic.