An Egyptian court ruled yesterday that the 20,388 teu Ever Given containership which blocked the Suez Canal in March will continue to be held in the waterway, rejecting an appeal by its Japanese owner, Shoei Kisen Kaisha, against its detention.
The Suez Canal Authority has been demanding $916m in damages from the six-day blockage that the huge 400 m long ship created on the waterway.
The ship has been arrested and is anchored at the Bitter Lakes area while its owner and insurance parties negotiate with Egyptian authorities over the price for its release. In the meantime, crew who have worked their contract lengths have been allowed to head home and be replaced.
General average has been declared by the ship’s owner with shippers braced for a big bill to get the 18,300 containers onboard moved to their European destinations.
Shoei Kisen has applied the International Convention on Limitation of Liability on the Ever Given, whereby it will aim to cap claims to a maximum of $115m.
