© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: View of containers on the methanol-fueled container ship Laura Maersk as it is anchored in port after an official naming ceremony in Copenhagen, Denmark, September 14, 2023. REUTERS/Tom Little/File Photo
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Denmark's Maersk is preparing to resume shipping operations in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the company said on Sunday, citing the deployment of a U.S.-led military operation designed to ensure security of commerce in the area.
The shipping giant stopped sending ships through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in early December due to attacks on its ships. That left the Suez Canal, which is key to global trade, unusable for most routes.
The United States said on Tuesday it was launching a multinational operation to protect Red Sea trade from Iran-backed Yemeni militants, who have been firing drones and missiles at international shipping since last month in what they say is a response to the Israel's war in Gaza.
“As of Sunday, December 24, 2023, we have received confirmation that the previously announced multinational security initiative Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG) has now been configured and deployed to allow maritime trade to pass through the Red Sea. Gulf of Aden and once again use the Suez Canal as a gateway between Asia and Europe,” Masersk said in a statement on Sunday.
“With the OPG initiative in place, we are preparing to allow vessels to resume transit through the Red Sea in both east and west directions.”
Maersk said it would publish more details in the coming days. But she said she could resort again to diverting boat traffic depending on how security conditions evolved.
On Tuesday, Maersk said it was diverting ships around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope. She said she would impose container surcharges for shipments from Asia to cover the additional costs associated with the longer journey.
Several other companies have stopped transiting the Red Sea for safety reasons in recent weeks, as has oil company BP (NYSE:).
