HAPAG-LLOYD AG 
"No visible bottlenecks are to be expected in the short or medium term," said Stefan Hertel, spokesman for the German Retail Association (HDE), to the Reuters news agency on Monday. In the wake of past delays in container shipping during the coronavirus pandemic and also in view of the Russian war in Ukraine, retail companies had made their supply chains more resilient. This includes a broader diversification of procurement areas, increased warehousing and alternative products for specific needs.
"Empty shelves or price increases are therefore not to be expected for this reason," said Hertel. In the long term, it can be assumed that supply routes will become even more stable and that corresponding buffers and alternative strategies will be expanded. The German Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services Association (BGA) expressed a similar view. "Our supply chains are now much more diversified and therefore more resilient than they were in 2021, when the Suez Canal was blocked for weeks," said BGA President Dirk Jandura. "I therefore do not expect any major supply problems; at most, there will be short delays in delivery in individual cases."
The Iran-backed militant Houthi rebels in Yemen have stepped up their attacks on ships in the Red Sea since November to show their support for the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which is fighting against Israel in the Gaza Strip. The attacks affect an important route for East-West trade, as the ships use the Red Sea to access the Suez Canal. Numerous shipping companies, including the German Hapag-Lloyd and the world's number two Maersk, are now avoiding the route. Many companies have instructed their ships to sail around southern Africa instead - a slower and therefore more expensive route.
(Report by Rene Wagner, edited by Sabine Ehrhardt - If you have any questions, please contact our editorial team at berlin.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com)
