With the new route, the Mediterranean Shipping Company aims to preserve global trade. MSC’s decision to introduce it bypasses the need to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic is restricted due to heightened military tensions in the region.
Disruptions to Middle East trade routes
The announcement was made against a backdrop of growing demand and increasing disruption to Middle East trade lanes as a result of the conflict between the US and Iran.
MSC said the new route will offer faster, more efficient and multimodal alternatives in an increasingly unstable maritime environment.
Ships sailing from the Baltic Sea and through Europe will be directly connected to Jordan’s Aqaba, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Port and Jeddah via the Suez Canal.
“All European departure points, from the northwest Baltic Sea (NWC-Scan Baltic) to the western Mediterranean (Adriatic) and eastern Mediterranean (Black Sea), will be served through MSC’s extensive network,” Euronews quoted the company’s statement as saying.
From King Abdullah Port, there will be further connections to other Gulf hubs, in particular the United Arab Emirates, via land transportation.
The first ship on this route is scheduled to depart Antwerp on May 10.
