World Shipping Companies Ask Their Ships to Leave the Red Sea

The global shipping company, MSC, announced that it had ordered its cargo ships not to cross the Red Sea until this strategic area is safe again. Quoted by the France24 website, Saturday (16/12/2023), the world shipping company MSC, which is jointly managed by Switzerland and Italy, reported that it had ordered its cargo ships to stay away from the Red Sea. "One of the world's largest shipping companies, MSC, said it had stopped shipping through the Red Sea until the area was safe again," wrote France24. The French shipping company, CMA CGM, has also announced the suspension of its cargo shipping traffic through the Red Sea, after attacks on merchant ships in the region. The company, based in the city of Marseille, said current conditions were very bad, and was concerned about the ever-improving security situation in the region. The decision by shipping companies MSC and CMA CGM, followed by the world's two largest shipping companies, namely Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, was in response to Yemen's Ansarullah warning. MSC reported that one of its cargo ships on Friday was the target of an attack in the Red Sea, and the company immediately stopped its ship traffic through the Red Sea until conditions were safe. According to the Swiss and Italian companies, no one on board the MSC Palatium III was injured, but the ship suffered damage due to fire. Meanwhile, CMA CGM said it had ordered all its ships to leave the Red Sea, and remain in a safe location until further notification. "The situation continues to worsen, and there are increasing concerns regarding security conditions," the French company said.