EMEA News
CMA CGM Joins Red Sea Boxship Exodus After Houthi Attacks
France's CMA CGM has joined other leading container lines in avoiding the Red Sea in response to recent attacks on commercial shipping from Yemen's Houthi movement.
The company has instructed all vessels scheduled to pass through the Red Sea to pause their journeys in safe waters until further notice, it said in a statement on its website on Saturday.
"The CMA CGM Group is deeply concerned about the recent attacks on commercial vessels unfolding in the Red Sea Region," the company said.
"We have been taking over the past days increasing prevention measures to ensure the safety of our vessels and their crews navigating these waters.
"The situation is further deteriorating and concern of safety is increasing.
"A such we have decided to instruct all CMA CGM containerships in the area that are scheduled to pass through the Red Sea to reach safe areas and pause their journey in safe waters with immediate effect until further notice.
"CMA CGM is taking all necessary steps to preserve its transportation services for its customers."
AP Moller-Maersk, MSC and Hapag-Lloyd have all made similar announcements since Friday afternoon.
A mass avoidance of the Red Sea -- and thus the Suez Canal -- by the container industry would be likely to result in a boost to global bunker demand as ships take a longer route around Africa.
