Editing Suez Canal (section)

===2021 obstruction===
{{main|2021 Suez Canal obstruction}}
[[File:Ever Given in Suez Canal viewed from ISS (cropped) 3 to 2.jpg|thumb|Satellite image of ''[[Ever Given]]'' blocking the canal in March 2021]]
On 23 March 2021, at around 05:40 UTC (07:40 local time),<ref name="BBC56505413">{{Cite news |date=24 March 2021 |title=Egypt's Suez Canal blocked by huge container ship |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-56505413 |access-date=24 March 2021 |archive-date=23 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210323234228/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-56505413 |url-status=live}}</ref> the Suez Canal was blocked in both directions by ultra-large [[Evergreen G-class container ship]] ''[[Ever Given]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Schkvarkin|first=Erofey |date=23 March 2021 |title=Mega container ship hard aground in Suez Canal |url=http://www.maritimebulletin.net/2021/03/23/mega-container-ship-hard-aground-in-suez-canal/ |access-date=23 March 2021|website=Maritime Bulletin|language=en-US|archive-date=23 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210323204248/http://www.maritimebulletin.net/2021/03/23/mega-container-ship-hard-aground-in-suez-canal/|url-status=live}}</ref> The ship, operated by [[Evergreen Marine]], was en route from Malaysia to the Netherlands when it ran aground after strong winds allegedly blew the ship off course.<ref name="BBC56505413"/> Upon running aground, ''Ever Given'' turned sideways, completely blocking the canal.<ref>{{cite web|date=24 March 2021 |title=Massive cargo ship becomes wedged, blocks Egypt's Suez Canal |url=https://apnews.com/article/dubai-united-arab-emirates-egypt-suez-canal-africa-5957543bb555ab31c14d56ad09f98810 |access-date=24 March 2021 |website=AP News|archive-date=24 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210324125712/https://apnews.com/article/dubai-united-arab-emirates-egypt-suez-canal-africa-5957543bb555ab31c14d56ad09f98810 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="BBC56505413"/> Although part of the length of the canal is paralleled by an older narrower channel which can be used to bypass obstructions, this incident occurred to the south, in a section of the canal where there is only one channel.<ref>{{Cite news |date=24 March 2021 |title=Suez Canal Stays Blocked Despite Efforts to Free Stuck Ship |language=en |work=Bloomberg.com |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-24/suez-canal-blockage-closer-to-resolution-on-efforts-to-move-ship |access-date=24 March 2021 }}</ref>

When the incident began, many economists and trade experts commented on the effects of the obstruction if not resolved quickly, citing how important the Suez was to global trade; the incident was likely to drastically affect the global economy because of the trapped goods scheduled to go through the canal. Among those goods, oil shipments were the most affected in the immediate aftermath, due to a significant number still blocked with no other way to reach their destination.<ref>{{cite news|date=24 March 2021 
|title=How will Suez Canal blockage impact global trade?|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/suez-canal-blockage-global-trade-impact-b1821706.html |access-date=25 March 2021 |website=The Independent |language=en |archive-date=27 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210327124322/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/suez-canal-blockage-global-trade-impact-b1821706.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title='Anything you see in the stores' could be affected by Canal logjam, shipping experts say |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/massive-container-ship-blocking-suez-could-delay-shipments-raise-gas-n1261950 |access-date=25 March 2021 |website=NBC News |date=24 March 2021 |language=en |archive-date=25 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210325045425/https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/massive-container-ship-blocking-suez-could-delay-shipments-raise-gas-n1261950 |url-status=live}}</ref> Referring to the European and American market, a few maritime experts have disputed the prediction of a drastic effect on trade, saying this "really isn't a substantial transit route for crude" according to Marshall Steeves, energy markets analyst at [[IHS Markit]], and "there are existing stocks" according to Camille Egloff of [[Boston Consulting Group]] and alternative sources of supply, noting that traffic only slowed down and that it might only have impacted sectors with existing shortages (such as the [[semiconductor]] industry).<ref>{{Cite news|date=24 March 2021|title=What are the consequences of Suez Canal incident?|work=RTÉ|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2021/0324/1205936-suez-canal-maritime-trade/|url-status=live|access-date=24 March 2021|archive-date=25 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210325214904/https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2021/0324/1205936-suez-canal-maritime-trade/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Saefong |first=Myra P. |title=Why the blockage of the Suez Canal matters for oil prices |url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-the-blockage-of-the-suez-canal-matters-for-oil-prices-11616601880 |access-date=25 March 2021 |website=MarketWatch |language=en-US |archive-date=26 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210326031209/https://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-the-blockage-of-the-suez-canal-matters-for-oil-prices-11616601880|url-status=live}}</ref> The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) estimated that up to $3 billion worth of cargo passes through the Suez Canal every day.<ref>{{cite news|title=How That Massive Container Ship Stuck in the Suez Canal Is Already Costing the World Billions of Dollars|url=https://time.com/5950030/suez-canal-boat-stuck-cost-billions/|url-status=live|access-date=26 March 2021|archive-date=26 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210326091209/https://time.com/5950030/suez-canal-boat-stuck-cost-billions/}}</ref>

It was said the blockage would have an impact on cargo schedules around the world. Shipping companies were also considering whether to divert their ships along the much longer route around the [[Cape of Good Hope]]. The first container ship diverted was ''Ever Given''{{'}}s sister ship, ''Ever Greet''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-56538653 |title=Suez Canal: Ships stuck in 'traffic jam' as salvage efforts continue |work=BBC News |date=26 March 2021 |access-date=26 March 2021 |archive-date=26 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210326183916/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-56538653 |url-status=live }}</ref>

''Ever Given'' was re-floated on 29 March.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wittels |first1=Jack |last2=El Wardany |first2=Salma |last3=Magdy |first3=Mirette |date=29 March 2021 |title=Giant Vessel Is Now Afloat, Inchcape Says: Suez Update |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-28/progress-made-in-moving-ship-more-vessels-diverted-suez-update |access-date=29 March 2021 |website=bloomberg.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=29 March 2021 |title=Suez Canal ship news |url=https://www.cnn.com/africa/live-news/suez-canal-shipping-crisis-03-29-21/index.html |access-date=30 March 2021 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> Within a few hours, cargo traffic resumed, slowly resolving the backlog of around 450 ships.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vesselfinder.com |title=vesselfinder.com |access-date=26 March 2021}}</ref> The first ship to pass through the canal after ''Ever Given''<nowiki/>'s recovery was ''YM Wish'', a [[Hong Kong]]-based cargo ship.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Nagourney|first=Eric|date=29 March 2021 |title=With the Suez Canal Unblocked, the World's Commerce Resumes Its Course |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/03/29/world/suez-canal-stuck-ship |access-date=30 March 2021 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

On 2 April 2021, Usama Rabie, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority of Egypt, said that the damage caused by the blockage of the canal could reach about $1 billion. Rabie also revealed that after the Suez Canal resumed navigation, as of noon on 31 March 285 cargo ships had passed through the canal smoothly. He said that the remaining 175 freighters waiting to pass through the canal would all pass by 2 April.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://newsupd.com/2021/04/01/chairman-of-the-suez-canal-authority-the-damage-caused-by-the-blockage-may-reach-1-billion-us-dollars/|title=Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority: The damage caused by the blockage may reach 1 billion US dollars – News Update|date=1 April 2021|access-date=1 April 2021|archive-date=1 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210401063939/https://newsupd.com/2021/04/01/chairman-of-the-suez-canal-authority-the-damage-caused-by-the-blockage-may-reach-1-billion-us-dollars/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

After the incident, the Egyptian government announced that they would be widening the narrower parts of the canal.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-12/suez-canal-widened-ever-given-cargo-ship/100134036|title = Plans for Suez Canal to be widened after Ever Given cargo ship drama|newspaper = ABC News|date = 12 May 2021}}</ref> On 9 September 2021, the canal was briefly blocked again by MV ''Coral Crystal''.<ref>{{Cite news|date=9 September 2021|title=Ship Briefly Stranded in Suez Canal Before Being Freed|language=en-US|work=Bloomberg|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-09/ship-briefly-stranded-in-suez-canal-before-being-freed|access-date=10 September 2021}}</ref> However, this ship was freed within 15 minutes, presenting minimal disruption to other convoys.