French container shipping company CMA CGM informed its customers that as from 1 February 2024 and until further notice, all services initially routed via the Red Sea passage will now follow the Cape of Good Hope routing.
“The safety of our seafarers remains our priority at all times,” noted the Marseille-based ocean carrier in a statement.
The carrier took this decision because last week, Houthi attacks included the targetting of a convoy containing CMA CGM-operated vessels, according to a Reuters report.
CMA CGM was one of the few shipping companies that was continuing to send some vessels, usually supported by French navy escorts, through the Red Sea.
Rodolphe Saadé-led shipping company will now join the majority of the major container lines that have already suspended their transits through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
The escalating Red Sea crisis seems to exacerbate, with ongoing disruptions to global trade expected to persist.