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Following the recent shipping disruption in the Middle East, the British Ports Association has issued the following statement:
There remains some shipping disruption in the Red Sea and particularly passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait so we are monitoring what this might mean for the UK. We welcome Operation Prosperity and other security measures, which will help to facilitate and protect commercial ships in the region. While it’s not the busiest time of year for shipping, the Red Sea and the Suez Canal is an important east west trade route so we do expect some impacts on vessel arrival times into North West Europe and at some UK ports. It could particularly affect the container and gas sectors so importers might experience some delays in the coming weeks. 95% of the UK’s trade arrives by sea so it’s at times like these when you realise how important shipping is to the economy and our day to day lives. That said the maritime sector is resilient and we don’t envisage any major lasting impacts on supply chains although we obviously hope to see things resolved as soon as is possible. We would add that our thoughts are with the seafarers caught up in the situation.
Chief Executive, British Ports Association
‘Speaking for ports that facilitate 86% of the UK’s maritime trade and many more’