(Updated Europris, added DHL, Kappahl, Kid)
Attacks in Yemen on ships by Iran-backed Houthi militants have disrupted international trade on the shortest sea route between Europe and Asia.
These attacks, which target a route representing around 15% of global maritime traffic, have prompted several shipping companies to reroute their ships to .
Below you will find the companies’ responses to the disruptions (in alphabetical order):
AB FOODS ABF.L
The main owner is monitoring the situation, but its supply chains are capable of some adjustment, a company spokesperson said, adding that so far there was no cause for concern.
BASF BASFn.DE
The German chemical company does not anticipate any disruptions to the supply of raw materials or product distribution, but is monitoring the situation closely, a company spokesperson said.
BP BP.L
On December 18, the oil major told the address that it had temporarily halted all transits through the Red Sea.
COVESTRO 1COV.DE
The German chemical maker said a possible increase in transit times would not impact the supply of its products.
DANONE DANO.PA
The French food group said in December that most of its shipments had been diverted to , which would increase transit times. If the situation were to last longer than 2-3 months, Danone would implement mitigation plans, including using alternative routes by sea or road where possible, a spokesperson said.
DHL DHLn.DE
The German logistics company, which does not operate ships but uses them to transport containers, on January 8 advised its customers to take a close look at how they manage their inventory.
ELECTROLUX ELUXb.ST
The Swedish appliance maker has set up a task force to find alternative routes or identify priority deliveries to try to avoid any disruption. He expects a limited impact on deliveries for now.
EQUINOR EQNR.OL
The Norwegian oil and gas company said on December 18 that it had redirected ships heading to the Red Sea.
ESSITY ESSITYa.ST
The Swedish hygiene product manufacturer is monitoring the situation and remaining in contact with affected suppliers to ensure the continued flow of goods. The company believes the impact is limited because a small percentage of its supplies go through the Suez Canal.
EUROPRIS EPR.OL
The Norwegian retailer, which imports 35-40% of its goods from Asia via sea freight, told Reuters on January 5 that it had not considered other transport options because it would increase costs.
Europris reiterated that the longer shipping times were within its safety margin and that no significant challenges were expected, adding that it saw no need to adjust the outlook due to its pricing agreement fixed on sea freight for 2024.
GEELY 0175.HK
Geely, China’s second-largest automaker by sales, said on Dec. 22 that its electric vehicle sales would likely be affected by a delay in deliveries as most of the shipping companies it uses to export electric vehicles towards Europe sail around the Cape of Good Hope.
IKEA
The Swedish distributor of ready-to-assemble furniture said on December 19 that the situation would lead to delays and could cause availability constraints for certain products.
“We are evaluating other supply options to ensure the availability of our products,” he added.
KAPPAHL
On January 8, the Swedish fashion retailer said it was affected by the situation, as it ships its products via Maersk MAERSKb.CO. “We expect some effects, perhaps delays in the delivery of new goods, but the extent of the effect is still very uncertain,” the group told Reuters.
KEMIRA KEMIRA.HE
The Finnish chemicals company said Dec. 19 that shipping companies’ decisions to reroute ships would affect some of its international routes, but not significantly, at least in the short term.
“There is currently capacity available in the market and waiting times at ports are reasonably good,” said a Kemira spokesperson.
KID KID.OL
The Norwegian home decor retailer told Reuters on January 5 that it did not see any impact on in-store inventory, but added that it was unclear how the business would be affected. Kid said he does not ship his products through Maersk.
KONE KNEBV.HE
The Finnish elevator manufacturer said the situation could in some cases delay shipments by 2-3 weeks, but the majority of deliveries to its customers are expected to remain on schedule. Kone said it prepared for these disruptions by researching alternative delivery methods and routes.
LIDL
Lidl subsidiary Tailwind Shipping Lines, which transports non-food goods for the discount supermarket chain and goods for third-party clients, said it was sailing around the Cape of Good Hope for now.
MEDIAMARKTSATURN
The German electronics distributor, and Ceconomy unit CECG.DE, said on December 21 that they did not expect the situation to affect their supply chain or product availability during the period. Christmas.
“If the situation persists for longer, we cannot exclude the possibility of experiencing isolated effects on product availability in the medium term,” the company added.
MOSAIC MOS.N
The American fertilizer company said on December 18 that it had rerouted some US-bound shipments around the Cape of Good Hope.
TSMC 2330.TW, TSM.N
The world’s largest chip maker said on Dec. 19 that it did not anticipate a significant impact on its business.
VOLKSWAGEN VOWG_p.DE
The German automaker said Dec. 20 that rerouting shipments would cause journeys to lengthen by about two weeks, adding that it had not seen any problems so far.
VOLVO CAR VOLCARb.ST
The Swedish carmaker told Reuters it was affected by the transport hurdles and was studying the potential impact, but did not see an impact on its ability to meet production and sales targets. basically on a global level.
WHIRLPOOL WHR.N
The appliance maker said in December that it was closely monitoring logistical issues in the region to help mitigate risks as they arise, adding that there was no impact on its activities to date.
YARA YAR.OL
The Norwegian fertilizer maker told Reuters it was only slightly affected so far, but the Red Sea was an important supply route for it.