Trade ship traffic in the Cape of Good Hope region off the coast of South Africa has increased by 35% (94 vessels per day) amid the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. This was reported by Anadolu, citing data from the analytical agency MarineTraffic.
At the same time, oil tanker transit through the Strait of Hormuz, located in the northwestern Indian Ocean connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, decreased by 90%. On March 3, only four vessels passed through it, compared to an average of 138 per day.
Additionally, due to the situation in the Middle East, major international shipping companies Hapag-Lloyd, CMA CGM, and Maersk have suspended passage through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, rerouting vessels around Africa.
Earlier in March, German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd announced the suspension of all types of cargo transportation from Africa to Persian Gulf countries due to the escalation of hostilities in the Middle East.