Maersk to Resume Red Sea Shipments as US-Led Security Force Deploys

Shipping and logistics giant Moller-Maersk said it plans to resume shipments through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden after a multinational task force promised to protect commercial vessels.

Several shipping companies, including Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, had paused sending their vessels through the Red Sea earlier this month after several merchant ships were attacked. More than 10% of global trade goes through the Red Sea each year through the Suez Canal in the north and the Bad al-Mandab in the south.

Maersk said it had begun preparations to allow its container ships to resume both eastbound and westbound movements through the Red Sea in part due to a new U.S.-led multinational operation to protect commerce from bad actors.

“We are currently working on plans for the first vessels to make the transit and for this to happen as soon as operationally possible,” Maersk said in a customer advisory. "While doing so, ensuring the safety of our employees is of the utmost importance and our number one priority in handling the challenging situation in the Red Sea/Gulf of Aden area."

Maersk added that it is still assessing the overall situation and will communicate additional details in "the coming days." The company also cautioned that it could resume its diversion plans if necessary to protect its employees.

The Houthis, a militia group based in Yemen and said to be backed by Iran, have attacked commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea and the Suez Canal over the past months in response to the Israel-Hamas war. The group has claimed responsibility for three recent attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea and launched more than 70 drones and missiles at multiple ships passing through the Red Sea.

The multinational operation will also help defend merchant ships against attacks from Somali pirates, such as the group that seized an Israeli-linked commercial ship near Yemen last month.