Missile and drone attacks on transport stations are a big problem for global trade. The Red Sea is called the “Highway of the Sea”, which connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean and, therefore, Europe with Asia. About 20,000 kilometers pass through the Suez Canal every year, which is another entry and exit point for ships passing through the area. ships.
The Houthi fighters, who support Hamas, pose such a real threat to global logistics that they forced countries to form an international coalition in December. Their intelligence services and navies are working together to protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea from attacks as part of an operation called Prosperity Guardian.
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See also: Prices in Germany have reached a wall. Companies go bankrupt. “Alarm for Poland”
Houthi attacks are changing the global supply chain
The growing threat has forced major shipping companies to halt traffic through the Red Sea and divert routes. This problem affects even the biggest oil giants like BP. Ryan Peterson, founder and CEO of global supply chain management company Flexport, noted at X today that 95 percent of ships choose to sail to the African continent to minimize risk.
This topic was taken up by Jakub Jakobowski, Deputy Director of the Center for Oriental Studies (OSW). In a thread on X, he notes that stock diversions are affecting Adriatic ports.
If (!) the situation continues, the Suez Canal will be blocked and cargoes from Asia will actually start bypassing Africa forever – This is bad news for ports like Koper, Rijeka, Trieste and Piraeus – writes the deputy head of OSW.
In a cross-sectional analysis published on OSW, Sandra Baniak and Konrad Poplawski describe the ports' efforts to improve infrastructure. They have ambitions to take over some of the trade links previously linked to the Baltic ports and the North Sea. They also want to be meaningful partners UkraineWhich makes it easier export Goods and raw materials produced by this country.
However, they are highly dependent on the smooth flow of goods through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. However, attacks by Houthi rebels mean that more and more companies are choosing ports in the North and Baltic Seas. Although this adds an average of a week to shipping, it provides greater assurance that the goods will reach their destination.
Of course, every logistician will tell you that it is not always time: the main thing is cost, quality of service, network of connections, etc. But the Suez blockade means that the Adriatic rivals will lose this time advantage – (transport – ed.) around Africa (does – ed.) all (port – ed.) are similarly distant – explained Yakub Yakobovski.
Competition from Polish ports is not sleeping
The OSW expert summarized that In this case, there is no question of an automatic mechanism, assuming that the blockade of Suez will increase transportation to Poland. Many factors influence the final decision of transport companies, and our country also has competition in the region in the form of ports: German, Dutch and Belgian.
“But it is worth monitoring the situation, because the global world is a system of communicating ships,” he concluded.
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